In Name Only
by SierraAccent
Summary: Harry is taken from Privet Drive by Sirius and his sister, a woman far too knowledgable about Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Rebecca has a plan to teach Harry exactly what he needs to know to defeat the Dark Lord and who better than his former Second?
1. Beginning of the End

_Hello all. I know, I know, I shouldn't have a new story up with updating the others, but this was my back up for NaNoWriMo. I already have 16,000 words so I decided to go ahead and post this first chapter. I should have the second up in another day or so, depending on how my word count goes to allow me to edit what I've already written._

**Chapter One**

**Beginning of the End**

It seemed to be a normal day on Privet Drive in Surrey, but then in Harry Potter's life, appearances tended to be deceiving. His own deceived many. He lived with his very normal family, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley Dursley. Very normal, in fact so normal that the very thought of anything abnormal was enough to send any of them into fits. Enter prime example, Harry himself who would seem to many to be the farthest person from the Dursleys as one could possibly get.

Harry was a wizard and not the kind seen on the telly who pull rabbits out of their hats, but a real wizard. His family told their friends that he attended a school for incurably criminal boys, but it was far from the truth, instead he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and had just finished his fourth year of magical training.

To many observers, magical and Muggle (non magical people) alike, he seemed to be a typical withdrawn and moody fifteen year old boy, but even that was far from the truth. The previous June Harry had experienced something he had hoped would never happen; he witnessed the return of his enemy, the Dark Lord Voldemort, who was the reason Harry now lived with the Dursleys because Voldemort had killed Harry's parents when he was but a year old. For his protection, the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had send Harry to stay with his only living blood relatives because of the magical ties blood had. For ten years Harry grew up living in a cupboard not knowing of his parents or of their sacrifice or of the world he now belonged to. The Dursleys had hoped to squash the magic out of him, but they had not succeeded and now Harry was seen as a very powerful wizard, so powerful that Lord Voldemort has tried many times to kill him and almost succeeded during the conclusion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament during which one of Harry's classmates and friends, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by Voldemort's henchman, Wormtail.

Now, barely one month after that fateful night Harry was sitting outside his family's house looking up and down the street. He'd battled Voldemort four times and survived but now he was reduced to sitting around waiting for something to happen. He hadn't heard from any of his friends from school and hadn't received any news from his godfather or Dumbledore about what was happening with Voldemort. He hated being left in the dark about this. He had been the one to battle Voldemort yet he wasn't being told anything about it or what was happening in the wizarding world. Didn't he have a right to know what was going on? Hadn't he almost been killed time and again by the monster? He was being treated like a wayward child, like the criminal his uncle claimed him to be. It wasn't fair but Harry could do nothing about it.

Harry kicked a stone down the garden path. He sat under the big tree and tried not to think about the path his life was taking. Voldemort had tried to kill him. Why again, this time? What was so important about him? He was Harry, just Harry, nothing more, but not to the Dark Lord it seemed.

Harry wished something would happen. He was bored and right now anything would do. He'd been with the Dursleys for the past month and he knew nothing about the war effort against Voldemort. There was nothing in the newspapers, Muggle or magical, about mysterious deaths or catastrophes and Harry wondered why. If Voldemort was back and killing people, wouldn't it be all over the news?

Something popped. Harry looked u. The sound was familiar. It sounded like someone Apparating or Disapparating. Who, though? There weren't any wizards around here that he was aware of. It had to have been his imagination. He was too ready for something to happen that he was imagining noises. If he didn't leave soon, he would probably lose his mind.

But there was the sound again, louder this time and three more subsequent pops. Harry stood up and gripped his wand. He was not imagining this. There were people there to get him but were they friend or foe?

Harry turned and looked around. What direction had the sounds come from, because now he knew it had been Apparation he knew someone was there.

"Hello, Harry," came a voice from behind him. Harry spun around and came face to face with Dumbledore. Behind the headmaster stood Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, and other people Harry didn't know and had never seen.

"Wait a minute, Dumbledore, how do we know we aren't too late? He could be a Death Eater."

"You've spent too much time with Mad-Eye," Sirius said. "Hey Harry."

"Sirius!" Harry said and launched himself at his godfather. He may have been fifteen, but he hadn't spent much time with his godfather. Sirius had been his father's best friend in school and the night Harry's parents were killed, everyone believed Sirius had betrayed them to Voldemort and then killed thirteen people. Two years ago Sirius had escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban and Harry had found out the truth at the end of his third year of school.

"Not many can fake that kind of enthusiasm about Sirius," a black haired woman said once Harry had backed away from his godfather. "I certainly don't know of a Death Eater who would. No one likes him much."

"Well, I believe it's settled then," Dumbledore said, ignoring the woman's last comment. "Sirius, you and I will go inside with Harry to get his things. The rest of you keep watch out here. We move out on Alastor's signal."

Harry wasn't sure what to do now. As much as he hated his relatives, he knew what Sirius' reaction would be to seeing how they treated him. He didn't want Sirius to see that but right now he didn't have a choice. Dumbledore motioned for him to lead them into the Dursley home.

Dudley was sitting on the sofa and taking up two-thirds of it with his massive weight. Aunt Petunia came out of the kitchen and shrieked upon seeing the two full grown wizards. Seconds later Uncle Vernon came out of the kitchen and stopped, paling at the sight.

"I'll deal with this," Dumbledore said. "Sirius, take Harry upstairs to get his things. We have five minutes."

Harry was confused. What was going on? He led his godfather up the stairs to his room before turning to confront the man.

"What's going on? Why are you all here now?"

"Harry," Sirius said. "Now is not the time to explain. One of our spies got a tip that Voldemort would be here today and these wards are not strong enough to withstand a concentrated attack from him. Now get your things. We don't have much time. Keep your father's cloak out."

The serious tone of his godfather's voice prompted Harry into action. He wasted no time gathering his clothes and school items into his trunk, including his father's Invisibility Cloak from under the loose floorboards under his bed. Once he was sure he had everything he turned back to his godfather.

"Everything?" Sirius asked and Harry nodded. Sirius smiled and muttered a spell at the trunk and it became much smaller. "Keep it in your pocket he said. We have two minutes before we portkey out."

"Plan B!"

Dumbledore's voice carried up the stairs and Harry looked to his godfather for guidance. What was happening? Sirius strode to the window and looked out. Harry walked over to join him but Sirius pushed him out of the way.

"Damn," Sirius muttered. He turned to Harry. "Put on the cloak. Dumbledore is out fighting with the others, we're on our own for now." Sirius looked out the window again. "We're going to Floo to the headquarters."

"From where?"

"Nearby. Mrs. Figg is on the network," Sirius answered, but didn't take his eyes away from the battle raging outside. Harry was scared. He could hear the steely coldness of his godfather's voice. He didn't want to ask questions, such as how Mrs. Figg was on the Floo network but he hated being left in the dark.

"Are you ready?"

Sirius and Harry both turned to face the black haired woman who'd spoken earlier. Sirius seemed to glared at her, but nodded.

"Arabella awaits," she said. "Get ready and I'll clear the path."

Sirius nodded to Harry to put on his cloak. Harry did so and Sirius transformed into his Animagus counterpart, Padfoot, a big black dog. The woman nodded curtly and turned. Harry and Padfoot followed her down the stairs and to the back door located in the kitchen. She looked around before stepping out the door and Harry followed her. Her wand was out and she walked like she had experience in these types of situations. Harry wondered if she was an Auror.

Padfoot whined.

She and Harry both whirled around to see a Death Eater come over the bushes and he wasn't alone. The woman's face set in anger. Harry could feel hatred radiating from her body.

"Go on, Padfoot," she said with an ice cold tone. Harry got the impression she was not a person to cross in any situation. "I'll deal with these two."

"You think you can handle us, dearie?" one of the Death Eaters said. She smiled. "Crucio."

Harry had been hit with that curse before; the Cruciatus Curse hurt like nothing he had ever experienced before but the woman didn't even seem affected by it. Padfoot was nudging Harry's hand, urging him to move but Harry stood transfixed. She didn't scream or even make a motion indicating the curse had even touched her.

"Ouch," the woman answered. "I'm sorry, was that supposed to be this, Crucio! Anger, anger, anger. It is a very good thing."

The Death Eater fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain. He looked to be in more pain than Harry had ever seen anyone in. His opinion of the woman being an Auror evaporated. An Auror would not use Unforgivables like that. He turned and allowed Padfoot to guide him away from the scene.

The sight of the Death Eater being tortured haunted his thoughts while he followed his godfather, ducking under bushes and behind trees to hide from scouting Death Eaters and when the woman caught up to them a few minutes later he eyed her warily. She didn't seem at all ashamed of what she had done nor did she seem at all tired. In fact, if Harry had to describe her, he would have said she was jubilant. She watched everything and everyone and when a Muggle crossed their path, she made pleasant passing conversation with him.

When the three reached Mrs. Figg's house, the woman walked up to the door and knocked three times and Padfoot barked once. The front door opened and the woman nodded of Harry to precede her and the dog. Sirius transformed once inside and Harry decided it was fine to take off his cloak. The woman was at the window looking out.

"What the hell was that about?" Sirius demanded, standing behind her.

She didn't turn to look at him. "Arabella, have you any tea, I'm parched."

"Answer me, Rebecca."

"Did you not recognize who those two were, Sirius?" the woman named Rebecca said. "McNair and Crabbe. Idiots the both of them. I trained them and they could do no better than that. I don't pity them Voldemort's wrath after that little escapade of course that's even if they see Voldemort any time soon. I didn't leave them in much of a condition to run away."

"Right," Sirius said. "And so you thought you'd give them a lesson in Voldemort's place? Here you've got everyone believing you've changed your ways but you'll never change. I'm surprised you haven't gone back to Voldemort yet, or have you and you're just going to lay the Order open to him?"

"I do not answer to you, Sirius Black. Contrary to popular belief people can and do change. I will not justify what I do to anyone, least of all to someone like you. How about that tea, Arabella?" Rebecca walked away. Harry looked after her for a minute before turning to his godfather.

"Who is she?"

Sirius didn't answer. "Don't get any closer to her than you have to, Harry. She's dangerous." Sirius looked at the clock above the mantle. "Three minutes," he called out before sitting down on the sofa.

Harry was confused. He would listen to his godfather, but he was curious. The woman, Rebecca, had all but admitted to being a Death Eater. Harry watched his godfather for the next few minutes. Sirius seemed to be in deep contemplation and Harry didn't really want to bother him, but he was curious. The answers Sirius had given before didn't seem like enough now. Harry wanted to know the truth.

"Okay, let's go," Rebecca said, walking into the room. Mrs. Figg was behind her. "Sirius, you go first."

"I'm not leaving you alone with Harry," Sirius said, standing up. "Like it or not, _Sister_, I do not trust you and I never will."

Harry could feel the tension in the room. The two stared at each other. The hatred in Sirius' eyes was equal only to the hatred Harry had seen in his eyes when they found Wormtail.

"We're running out of time. Whoever is last has to Apparate after sealing the Floo. Go now, Sirius or I will make you. The Aurors are here and I don't fathom seeing them any more than you do right now."

Sirius grumbled something but stepped toward the fireplace. Rebecca either didn't hear him or simply didn't care. She was once again looking out the window.

Sirius was glaring again, but turned to Harry. "We're going to Number 12, Grimmauld Place," he said. "Wait until Rebecca gives you the signal. We can explain more once we're somewhere more secure." Harry nodded and Sirius stepped up to the fireplace. He nodded to Mrs. Figg, threw the Floo Powder into the grate and said the address.

"Merlin, I thought he'd never leave," Rebecca said from her place at the window. "Arabella, do you have your protections in place?"

"Yes," Mrs. Figg answered. "Alastor came by last night and reinforced your shields."

"Good, and you're still going off to stay in France for a few days with Penny?"

"Yes, the arrangements are all made."

"Then you'd better go on, Harry, Arabella. I'll stay here until the Aurors come."

"Go on, Harry," Mrs. Figg said.

"Lovely," Rebecca said from the window. Harry and Mrs. Figg both stopped.

"What is it?"

"Lucius. Go on, I'll handle him." Harry could have sworn he saw a look of sadness on the woman's face before he called out his destination.


	2. Grimmauld Place

_Here is the second chapter of my NaNo work. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it._

**Chapter Two**

**Grimmauld Place**

Harry hadn't been sure what to expect when he nearly fell out of the fireplace of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. The sight that greeted him, however, was one he would probably always remember. His friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were there along with Ron's mum, and Sirius. Mrs. Weasley rushed over to him and enveloped him in a hug. It was awkward, but Harry hugged her back. She was the closest thing he had ever had to a mother and he loved her. She was definitely one he considered family.

"Where's Rebecca?" Sirius asked.

"I think Lucius Malfoy showed up right before she told me to go," Harry answered, unsure of Sirius' reasoning. The man had spent most of the last half hour being hateful to the woman he'd called sister, and now he was almost concerned for her? It didn't make sense. Harry hadn't spent much time around his godfather and didn't know if this was normal or not.

"Someone will get killed," Sirius said. "I can't guarantee it will be Rebecca either."

"Sirius Black!" Mrs. Weasley admonished, but Sirius didn't look at all concerned about what he'd said. He once again looked thoughtful. "At least show a little concern. She is your sister."

"In name only," Sirius replied darkly. "Nothing else. Never anything else. She was my mother's prize child. It was sickening. If she had been born into this family we probably would have killed each other when we were children."

Mrs. Weasley sighed like Harry had heard her do so many times over her twin sons, Fred and George. "Ron, Hermione, take Harry upstairs. Sirius perhaps you would change his trunk, as well. I will wait for the call from Dumbledore."

Harry followed Ron, Hermione, and Sirius out of the basement kitchen and up the stairs. When they reached the first floor, the door opened and Rebecca walked in. This time she actually looked like she had been in a duel. Her braided hair was pulled down and there was a cut in the arm of her green silk shirt. Harry could see the angry remnants of a long cut down her arm that disappeared under her shirt.

"Was Lucy not happy to see you?" Sirius asked.

"Your penchant for understatement never ceases to amaze the masses, Sirius. Not that it is any of your business what happens between Lucius and I. Dumbledore and the others will be here soon. The Aurors were arriving when I left and they weren't happy."

"Did you kill Malfoy?" Ron asked.

Rebecca looked at him. "You are far too young to need to know about what I do or who I may or may not kill."

"Really?" Sirius asked. "And how old were _you_ when you began to kill?"

"I think you know the answer to that question and regardless of what you may think, I have no wish to turn these children into killers any sooner than need be. Now go off and do whatever it is that you do, Sirius. Some of us do have a job to do here."

Harry looked at Sirius and he could see the rage burning in the man's eyes. Harry wanted to say something to diffuse the situation but he had a feeling it would only make things worse. He wondered why, if she was Sirius' sister, she would provoke him. She didn't seem to care in the slightest what he said about her and since Harry had first seen her, she had always been calm. Even when she had fought with the Death Eaters she'd been so calm it seemed unnatural.

"Yes," Sirius answered. "You have to go off and tell Voldemort what is happening here."

"I suppose the Slytherin creed was right then; Gryffindors have no sense. If you did have any sense, you would know very well what would happen if I showed my face in London."

"Sirius, don't move. Rebecca, quit antagonizing him. I have no desire to keep you from killing each other should this continue."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned to see their former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin, walk into the room. He looked less ragged than when Harry had last seen him. His clothes didn't look as old and seemed to be in much better shape than they had been before. He also seemed healthier and better nourished. Harry wondered when the next full moon was.

"Remus, how can you support her?" Sirius asked.

"I don't, but I also don't think that now is a good time to provoke her considering what she just did to Malfoy. Rebecca, Dumbledore wants to see you at Hogwarts. He says it is important."

"Everything is important with him," Rebecca said, "but no matter. There is something I wish to discuss with him as well."

"Are you deliberately trying to anger her, Sirius?" Lupin asked once Rebecca had left the room to go down to the basement kitchen. Sirius didn't look at all ashamed about the things he'd said to her. Instead, he shrugged.

"I spent many years around her, Remus. I know what she can be like."

"She has changed," Lupin said. "Not much, but at least now she has some semblance of a conscious. Becoming a parent can do that even to the worst people."

"Not to Rebecca. She never had a conscious. If she did she wouldn't have done half the things she did. She would never have joined Voldemort. You three go upstairs," Sirius said over his shoulder to the three teens. "I'll be up there in a minute to fix your trunk, Harry."

Harry didn't want to leave the conversation but Ron and Hermione were pulling him out of the room and onto the stairs. He followed them into a bedroom and Hermione closed the door.

"What is going on?" Harry asked.

"The war has started," Ron said. "You-Know-Who openly declared war on the Ministry of Magic this morning."

"Why hasn't anyone told me anything about this?" Harry demanded. He hated being left in the dark about things and this was important. Anything involving Voldemort was important because Voldemort would keep trying to kill him.

"Dumbledore didn't want you to do anything rash and he wouldn't let us send any letters, Harry, I'm sorry," Hermione said. "We wanted to tell you, but we weren't allowed. Only Fawkes delivers any letters in or out of here and those are only to Remus, Sirius, or Rebecca. We're not even allowed to let the owls out."

"So, what, you've been staying here since the end of term?"

"We only just moved in last week," Ron said. "This is Sirius' family's ancestral home. He gave it to Dumbledore to use as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix."

"The what?"

"It's Dumbledore's defense against Voldemort," Hermione explained. "Those people who will stand by him and help to defend those under his care and to fight with him when this war comes to that. We're not allowed in on the meetings, but we think something big is about to happen. That woman, Rebecca, has been around here a lot but we've been told to stay away from her and Snape when they're here. They are always in the library or in the basement working but they argue a lot and sometimes we can hear what they're saying."

"Who is she?" Harry wanted to know. The question had been nagging him since he'd seen her. She was familiar to him but not enough for him to know who she was and Sirius had called her sister.

"We're not sure. No one will give us an answer, but Remus said she had been a Death Eater in the last war. She and Sirius argue all the time and her last name is Black so I think they're related."

Hermione's explanation made sense, but Harry didn't think it was right. There was something else about Rebecca. Even if she was related to Sirius, his true sister, why didn't he accept her now? Harry sat down on the bed while Ron and Hermione explained what had happened to them during the past month. He continued to think about the events on Privet Drive. Rebecca had known when and how the Death Eaters would attack so it made sense that she was or had been a Death Eater. Harry thought about Sirius' reactions about Death Eaters. Some of his comments began to make more sense. If Rebecca was his sister and had been a Death Eater Sirius would probably feel anger and resentment towards her but if she had repented her ways, would Sirius still hate her because of her past choices? Harry didn't know his godfather well and he wasn't sure what Sirius' reaction would be otherwise.

Harry only half listened to the stories Ron and Hermione told him. He was still very curious about what was going on downstairs between Sirius and Lupin and when the bedroom door opened revealing a still angry Sirius, Harry turned his attention to his godfather.

"What is going on?"

"Ron, Hermione, can you leave us for a while? I'd like to talk to my godson alone." The two other teens nodded and Hermione smiled at Harry before pushing Ron out of the room. Sirius sat down next to Harry on the bed.

"I guess you're confused," Sirius began. "Huh, I don't know where to begin. What do you want to know?"

"Rebecca. Who is she?"

"You couldn't start with an easy one, could you? Rebecca was unofficially adopted by my parents when she was sixteen. She had become a Death Eater that summer and had taken one mf my cousins with her to Voldemort under Lucius Malfoy's guidance. She is not to be trusted. Dumbledore trusts her and he knows as well as I do what she is capable of. Don't trust her, Harry. There is nothing to say she isn't still Voldemort's favourite."

* * *

"Who's this?" Jonas Davids asked his partner when they came upon the body of a man in Death Eater robes. His mask was gone and his face covered in blood.

"Bloody 'ell, it looks like Lucius Malfoy."

"Huh, so much for his pretty face now. Whoever did this had fun." Malfoy's face looked like a ghastly version of Frankenstein's monster. Ugly red welts covered the areas where deep gashes had begun to heal themselves before Malfoy apparently lost consciousness.

"I can't get a signature from the spells," the second man replied. "They can get him patched up at the Ministry. Let's get him loaded up with the rest and get outta here. Place is creepy."

"It's only a Muggle neighborhood," Jonas replied. He glanced again at Malfoy. He had a feeling he knew who was responsible for the Death Eater's current predicament and it wasn't an Auror.

"My point, Davids."

Jonas looked around. He thought he'd heard something but his current partner's paranoia had to be getting to him. The Muggles had been cleared out of the area already in preparation for clearing out the captured Death Eaters. Several had been left by Dumbledore and those who'd helped him and Jonas had been sent in by Kinglsey Shacklebolt to secure the outer perimeters.

Jonas ran a hand through his brown hair. He wondered how the Minister was going to try to cover this up. Since the conclusion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament in June, random attacks and other acts of violence had been reported to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Things were getting bad quick but the Minister of Magic Fudge refused to admit the possibility that You-Know-Who was back. Rather he insisted Dumbledore was trying to create a rebellion against the Ministry itself. Jonas doubted that highly. He had worked with Dumbledore in the past near the end of the first war against the Dark Lord. He knew Dumbledore wouldn't lie about something like that and the fact that Harry Potter had been attacked only served to prove Dumbledore right.

"Hey Davids, lookit this," his partner, Lucas Wolf called out. "I think we might be able to figure out who did this."

Jonas walked over to the front door of the house.

"Imperio." Jonas saw the curse and dodged it. He'd had suspicions of his partner's loyalty and this only proved him right. He wanted to laugh. He had a reputation within DMLE for not being able to keep a partner for more than a few months at a time. Wolf had only last two.

"Crucio!" Wolf yelled again, this time with more feeling.

"Oh, come on, Wolf, can't you be original for once? I don't have the time for Unforgivables. How about this: Suntinella!" When Wolf fell to the ground bleeding, Jonas stunned him before clotting the wounds. He should have recognized the signs. He had seen them often enough in the last war.

Jonas sighed and looked at Wolf. He ran the spell to test for Imperious Curse and wasn't surprised that the man was not under it. He lifted the left shirt sleeve and upon finding the Dark Mark marring the skin he sent up the signal to the other Aurors in the area. He had just found their first Ministry Death Eater. He knew there would be many more to come and there were probably a few to be found in this neighborhood. Most of them would have escaped if able when Aurors started to arrive.

"What've you got, Jonas?"

"Wolf here and Lucius Malfoy over there with a scarred face," he answered the senior Auror.

"Huh. We're pretty much done here. Head back and start filing your report. You know, Jonas, I might as well leave you partnerless. Every time I give you one something happens to them."

Jonas shrugged but smiled. "Reminds me of someone I used to know." With a last look at Wolf, Jonas Disapparated. When he got to the Ministry, he went straight to his cubicle at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He wanted to get started on filing his report about Wolf so he would have time to meet with his former classmate before she disappeared again. Unlike Wolf, he had known exactly who was responsible for Malfoy's now permanent scars. He knew of only one person with that much hatred against the Death Eater and that was Rebecca Black. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised at her return, but he had been told she was dead.

Rebecca had contacted him the day before and wanted to meet in Muggle London which surprised him. He had gone to school with Rebecca and had known her before she'd been taken under the wing of the Blacks and Malfoys. It had been Rebecca's father who had gotten Jonas into the Auror training program after he'd left Hogwarts. He had watched as Rebecca constantly hurt her family through her actions and part of him had hated her for it. He had been in Slytherin with her and had been a part of the Pureblood Order, but once things had changed, so had he. When he got the owl from Rebecca asking to meet, he had been wary. She was not a person to anger even on the best of terms which had made her a powerful Death Eater and ally to Voldemort. If she was allying herself with the Light this time, with her knowledge of Voldemort and Death Eaters, she would become an important member of the fight.

Jonas wasn't sure which Rebecca would be, but he hoped the latter.

* * *

"Ah, Rebecca, I'm glad you were able to come," Dumbledore said. "I trust everything is well at the manor."

"Sirius and Harry got there well enough," she answered, sitting down.

"And you dueled Lucius."

Rebecca shrugged. "It was bound to happen and it will happen again. He won't be too happy when he regains consciouness."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said. "I am surprised you felt the need to be so cruel to the Death Eaters we battled today. Do you seem to think that this was needed?"

Rebecca wanted to yell at him. He had no right to judge her now after she'd given so much to his precious Order of the Phoenix. If it hadn't been for her, many Death Eaters would still be alive…but then again if it hadn't been for her, many innocents would still be alive as well. She could give Dumbledore all her knowledge about the Dark Lord but it would never be enough to atone for the deaths she had caused and the children she had murdered or orphaned. Death had become a part of her life at a young age. She admitted she'd allowed herself to be led astray by Lucius Malfoy, but none of those things allowed Dumbledore to judge her.

"I don't answer to you, Dumbledore," she said after a long while. "I have become my own person. As for what I did today, I only showed them I am not dead and I am ready to battle with any of them. Those I trained will remember my lessons and try to turn them upon me. I do not regret torturing Death Eaters and I never will. They deserve what they get."

"That was not an opinion you held fifteen years ago."

"And I was far away from here fifteen years ago and away from my daughter. At the same time, I was also the Dark Lord's most trusted advisor and extractor. I regret the things I did and I regret most of the murders I committed, but I will not regret what I do now, nor what I did just an hour ago."

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Without warning, Dumbledore stood up and smiled. "I know all I need to know, Rebecca. I want you here to teach this term. I have yet to find anyone to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and I think you will be able to provide a unique perspective to the students while training them for the coming war."

"I can't teach, Dumbledore," Rebecca said, standing as well. "Besides, I would better serve the Order's efforts if I were training the members in battle tactics."

"The students need you more. Alastor, Sirius, and Remus can train the Order with Kingsley and Tonks. I also have other reasons for wanting you here this term, child. I think you will be needed by your godson."

"He doesn't even know me."

"He does. He has been told of you by his godfather and I think you will be the best person to help him."

"Teach your students, save my godson from Voldemort, what else, Dumbledore? I know you want something else so don't try to deny it."

Dumbledore reached across his desk and picked up a book. "When I went to Little Hangleton to confirm Harry's story of Voldemort's resurrection in the graveyard, I found this inside the house. I do not know what language it is written in and therefore cannot translate it, but I think you can." He passed the diary to her and when she opened it she fell back into her seat.

"Merlin, Dumbledore." She sighed. "Hell, fine. I'll do this."

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Perfect. I'll send house elves to get your things from your apartment and you can move in here whenever you like. If you wish, you can stay at Grimmauld Place until the term starts and travel back with the students for additional protection on the train."

"Indeed," Rebecca said with a dry tone eyeing the book in her hands with contempt. She didn't care what the headmaster had in mind. This book would prove to be very interesting if it held the information she thought it would. "Indeed."

"Can you translate it?"

"It appears as English to me, you know this. Do you want me to read it to you?"

"When was it written?"

Rebecca paused and flipped to the front cover of the book. "In his seventh year, right before he killed his family."

"Do you take note of anything interesting or of use there?"

She flipped through the book again, noting several things of interest to her and other Death Eaters but little that would interest the headmaster, except one entry.

An idea began to form in her mind. She needed to get back to Grimmauld Place to know for sure, but it was possible. She looked up at Dumbledore. "No, nothing really that I can see now. There might be something else I can't see until I translate the entire book."

"This, I think, may be important later. I would ask you to translate it for me. I want to know what he was thinking of the time."

Rebecca nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. She'd give Dumbledore a translation, but not the one he wanted. She had a feeling she knew exactly what was in the diary and she wanted to know those things for herself and for the final battle. She soon left the headmaster to his own devices and returned to Grimmauld Place. Many hours in the library and sleepless night awaited her.

* * *

Jonas waited for Rebecca in the park she had specified in London. It was located on Grimmauld Place, the reputed location of Black Manor. He figured he shouldn't have been surprised, if she was still using the name Black she would go to the one place she knew would welcome her.

"Hello, Jonas."

He whirled around. Rebecca stood near a bench. She hadn't changed much since the last time he'd seen her at a battle between Aurors and Death Eaters of which he and Rebecca had been leading, respectively. Her black hair was longer now, flowing down her back and her almost black eyes were gleaming in the dusk.

"Rebecca," he said, fingering his wand in its holster on his wrist. He didn't know what she was planning but he didn't' want to take any chances.

"Paranoid as always," she said, sitting on the bench. "Something you no doubt learned from my father."

"I'm not sure you can be trusted."

"Everyone except Dumbledore seems to be of that opinion about me as of late. It is no surprise really."

"You did it to yourself."

Rebecca shrugged. Jonas was reminded of the conversations she had led in the Pureblood Order. She had always been cold and he had never understood why. Her family had been well known and loved among the masses and throughout the generations, most had gone into the Ministry and the Aurors. Except Rebecca. After leaving school she had all but disappeared from public life. Sightings of her came in through DMLE but it was always in Death Eater attacks. After four years, the reports were that she was Voldemort's most trusted servant. She'd had her daughter by that point and her younger brother was in his last year at Hogwarts. Jonas had been out of training and his first undercover assignment had been to find her and get close to her, but Rebecca had never been a person to let herself be fooled by anyone.

He had been surprised she didn't kill him. By all rights she could have but she didn't and he owed her his life so he would hear her out this time.

"You owe me, Jonas, and I'm calling in the favour now."

"I'm not agreeing to anything until I know what it is."

"This is for the good of the war effort, Jonas, and I know you care about that. I know Kingsley and Tonks will help you with this once they have what I'm about to give you."

"What is it?"

"You know I left London months before James and Lily Potter were killed. Today I retrieved something from Lucius' mind that will prove the truth of a matter we all thought we knew the truth of." She pulled a vial from her robe pocket. "This is the memory I retrieved. Don't ask how, I won't taint your view of right and wrong, but I trust you."

"Why?"

"You had the chance to kill me many times already, Jonas, yet you haven't. I know you will do what is best for all involved. Use the memory to our advantage."

"Who is it about?"

"A traitor. You have many enemies within the Ministry so keep this within DMLE."

Jonas was quiet for several long seconds. Rebecca still held the memory vial in her outstretched hand. If he took it, did it mean he would help her? Did it mean she was willing to fight for the Ministry? He didn't know, but there was something about the sheer emotion behind her words that drove him to believe her.

Jonas reached out and took the vial from Rebecca. Her hand fell limply to her side. "Do what I ask, Jonas, and your debt will be paid in full and I will ask you for no more."

"If this is true…"

"Do what is right. It's not the Slytherin thing to do, but this time that does not matter. I owe it to my family to do this. Do what you can and I will be grateful. Goodbye, Jonas. Perhaps we shall meet again." She turned and Disapparated midstep.


	3. Family Ties

Well, here's chapter three. A few more mysteries are explored and the fun begins.

**Chapter Three**

**Family Ties**

Harry was surprised to find that after dinner, almost everyone in the house congregated to the library. It was, by far, the cleanest and safest place in the house besides the kitchen, but even the kitchen wasn't safe with Fred and George around. Harry sat in one corner with Ron, Fred, and George when Sirius and Lupin came over and began telling them stories of the pranks they'd pulled off in school. Hermione was with Ginny in another corner doing their holiday homework. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were gone and Bill had left right after dinner. The pink haired Tonks was still floating around, right now she was with Ginny and Hermione. The three were laughing about something.

Rebecca hadn't returned since she'd left the see Dumbledore in the afternoon, but Harry wasn't concerned about her. Since his conversation with Sirius he wasn't sure she was the kind of person one needed to care about. Sirius didn't like her, hated her in fact, although he hadn't told Harry why. Harry wondered, he would until he knew the truth, but he didn't question his godfather's request to stay away from the witch. He could tell Sirius hated her and while Lupin claimed to tolerate her, Harry knew it was the same type of toleration he showed for Snape.

When Rebecca walked into the library a few minutes later, Harry wasn't surprised to see the look of hatred in his godfather's eyes. Rebecca come over to their corner and dropped something in Sirius' lap.

"Don't ever say I've done nothing to help family. Kallie is distributing it to the papers as we speak so Fudge can't try to worm his way out of it." She turned and walked to another, well-lit corner and pulled a book from her robe. Harry looked at his godfather who had taken and opened the piece of paper. Sirius' face drained of colour but his eyes held a strange light Harry hadn't seen since the night in the Shrieking Shack after they'd found Wormtail.

"How?" he called out to Rebecca, earning looks from Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks in the other corner.

Rebecca looked up and shrugged. "I did what had to be done. I'm not as cold as everyone always wanted to believe and everything I learned was not from Voldemort." Everyone was watching either Sirius or Rebecca and the two just stared at each other.

Sirius stood up and the paper fell to the ground. Lupin grabbed it and Harry watched as his face too, drained of colour. He smiled, though and stood up to follow Sirius. Harry shared a look with Ron, Fred, and George wondering what was on the paper to cause such a reaction from the two men. Few things could cause a reaction like that.

"Rebecca, you did this?"

"Yes, Remus. Regardless of what Sirius may think, I do care about what happens in this war. I know the balance of power will tip to whichever side has the most visible and hidden power. I understand the machinations better than most."

"What is it?" Tonks asked walking up to the other adults.

"A full pardon from the Ministry and a promise of reparations for wrongful imprisonment," Lupin answered, passing the paper to her. "Who did you have to blackmail for that?"

"Now, Remus, blackmail is such an ugly term. Encouraged is a much better expression. I simply helped a friend encourage Fudge that this would be the best course of action if he planned on having much support from Dumbledore's followers which he needs right now. Simple politics. I learned enough manipulations from Ulrich and Marius to ensure survival in that world as well as the one we're currently surviving in."

"Why would you do this?" Sirius asked. Harry and the others had joined the adults and Harry could see Sirius fighting to maintain composure. This was the best news they could have hoped for. If it was true, Harry would never have to go back to the Dursleys and he could stay with Sirius.

"It had to be done. I understand that better than most. I cannot take a public stance in this war, but someone needs to."

"And you decided on me?"

Rebecca shrugged again. "People trusted you. They trusted the faith my father had put in you and it was why your supposed betrayal caused so much trouble."

Sirius left Rebecca alone and the rest of the night was devoted to celebration a few minutes into which Rebecca left the library. No one spared her a glance. Tonks had left to get some more butterbeer and to tell a few of the other Order members. Soon the gathering turned into a large party during which no one recognized Rebecca as being the cause for their festivities.

* * *

Later that night, long after everyone else had gone to bed, Sirius Black couldn't sleep. After the news Rebecca had, literally, dropped on his lap, all he wanted to do was celebrate. He had waited fourteen years for the truth to come out but he had never expected it to be so sudden.

Nor had he expected Rebecca would be the one to provide him with his freedom. After everything he had ever said to her, he would never have thought she would give him to one of the things he wanted, needed most to protect Harry from Voldemort. He had never been anything but hateful to Rebecca. She had wanted to be with the Blacks. He supposed he could identify with her. He had wanted to be with the Potters. He had never hated her for stealing his family. There was only one event he had ever wanted to murder her over.

He walked down the stairs to the basement kitchen to get some more butterbeer and was surprised to find Rebecca sitting at the table bent over two books with a quill in hand writing in one. Her black hair obscured her face from view. An almost empty bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey sat beside her. If not for the movement of her quill, he would have thought her to be passed out or dead.

"Rebecca?"

She looked up and Sirius could see the lines of exhaustion in her face. So much had happened in the course of the day, Sirius would have been shocked if she wasn't tired.

She opened her mouth to speak, then stopped as if she couldn't form words. When she did speak, it was slow and calculated. Sirius wondered what she was working on. "Morning, Sirius. Did you enjoy your celebration?"

"Yes," he answered, watching her. She took another drink from the bottle. "You should have joined us."

She shook her head. "No, it was your celebration and I have far too much work to do."

"What are you working on?"

"A translation for Dumbledore. Tom Riddle's diary left at his father's house the night he murdered his family."

"That explains the firewhiskey," he said, motioning to the bottle. She looked at it and shrugged.

"I know the prejudices as well as you do, perhaps better, and even after all I've done, this makes me sick."

"So do you realize now what kind of monster you served?"

"Don't try to lecture me, Sirius. I know far better than you do what I've done. My sins will never be atoned for and I know that, but it doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to end this war."

"In favour of which side?"

"After securing your freedom for you, do you have to ask me that? I could have easily left everything alone and let things fall as they will."

"It could be a plan of Voldemort's."

"Do you really believe that? I did worse than betray Voldemort when I disappeared. I worked to kill him as did Regulus. I will continue working to kill him until he is dead."

"You're not the type to change loyalties, Rebecca," Sirius said.

"I never said my loyalties were to Voldemort, did I?"

"Don't play mind games with me."

"It's simple common sense, Black, which I've never seen a Gryffindor in possession of. My loyalties have never wavered, but they were never entirely to Voldemort."

"Who were they to?"

"I'm not telling you!"

"What is going on here?"

Sirius and Rebecca turned their attention to the newcomer. Harry was standing there watching them. They looked at each other. Sirius hadn't heard Harry come in and if Rebecca had she wasn't going to admit it to him.

"Good morning, Harry," Rebecca said. "I'm surprised you're awake. The sun isn't even up, it's only just after two in the morning."

"My scar was burning," Harry said. Sirius, argument forgotten, went over to Harry with Rebecca right behind him. He knelt in front of his godson.

"What was the dream about?"

"I can't remember. He was angry about the Death Eaters being captured yesterday."

"That would be about right," Rebecca said and Sirius looked at her. "He lost some of his better trained including three of his Ministry spies. Regardless of them being Death Eaters, they won't be able to pass along information about the Ministry activities anymore."

"But that's a good thing," Sirius said.

"Not necessarily. In vengeance he will probably plan a large attack on a high profile person or on several people at once. In an instant Aurors will be dispatched and he'll kill them all one by one because none are prepared to deal with power of such magnitude." She walked back over to the books lying on the table. "The hatred is strong but hatred brings power. He'll take Azkaban before the end of the season."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know how he thinks. People are rivaling his power now and he doesn't like it. In retribution, he'll plan something no one will be able to stop. As much as people are loathe to admit, the tables will tilt in Voldemort's favour if we lose Azkaban."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"His own personal torture chamber with Bellatrix as a keeper." Rebecca picked up the books. "This is going to be the worst war since that of Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"What, are you a Seer now?"

"I know the signs. Study enough about rising Dark Arts and you see the signs everywhere."

"Shouldn't you be off torturing someone right now?"

"Play nice, Sirius."

"It's funny that you've agreed to stay at Hogwarts after all that you've done."

"Oh really? Tell me, Sirius, is it more important to you to goad me or to help your godson?" Sirius turned to look at Harry, but the boy had slipped out of the kitchen while he'd been arguing with Rebecca. He wanted to curse her. "By the time he goes back to school you'll have custody," Rebecca said. "I won't contest it." She picked up the rest of her things. "Take care of him. If Dumbledore asks, I'll be in Knockturn Alley. He knows where to find me."

She walked past him and up the stairs. Sirius stared after her before going up the stairs to find Harry. He wasn't sure what had just happened with Rebecca, but he had a feeling it was a good thing.

* * *

"Uncle Ulrich?"

"Crucio!"

Rebecca dropped to the ground avoiding the curse and pulling her wand. Springing up she whirled around facing the shadows her attacker hid within. "Vulnaro," she called out.

"Eriperi vires."

Rebecca dodged the strength stealing spell. She threw another curse and the duel continued for several long minutes. When Rebecca finally saw an opening, she seized it. "Expelliarmus." Her attacker's wand flew into her hand and the lights within the shop came on. Laughter came from the still shadowed corner as her uncle walked out from behind a bookshelf.

"Your power has increased, Rebecca," he said, once she had tossed his wand back to him. "Although I am surprised you didn't expect an attack. Work on your timing. It took you a whole two seconds to react."

"I don't expect to be hit with an Unforgivable when I come in the door, Ulrich."

"Start."

"Of course. Has Kallie come by?"

"She is in the library now. But first, child, there is something I wish to talk to you about." She followed him to the back of the shop marveling at how little he had changed in the years since she'd seen him last. He had been her mentor and guide. He had taught her everything he knew about Dark Lords and Dark Arts and everything in between. Without his guidance, she probably would have been killed within weeks of being sorted into Slytherin. Then of course, without his guidance, she probably would have ended up in Gryffindor like her father's entire family.

The back room of the magical wares shop was dusty and cold but otherwise just as Rebecca remembered it. She had taken her first lessons here at her mother's insistence and despite her father's protests. In the end, it had caused a permanent split in the family even before Rebecca had turned to Voldemort. She still regretted it had come to that. She loved her uncle. Ulrich had given her everything she had needed to survive the Death Eaters and Voldemort. He too, knew how to survive when the need came. Survival was how he had ended up in Knockturn Alley selling artifacts from wizarding wars rather than in the public eye like his one remaining rival. She knew he hated what he had been reduced to, but there was nothing to be done about it.

"I know you're back to help Dumbledore."

"Yes," Rebecca answered. "I've told you as much."

"There is something I think you need to know about Tom Riddle before you enter this war."

"I have already entered this war, Uncle, what is it?"

"The second ascension to power of a Dark Lord is always the worst. It is always the one vying for immortality."

"He already thinks he has achieved it."

"But he can be destroyed and you have worked to do so, but Rebecca, child, there is another way. If he has a child."

Rebecca froze. "How?"

"How what? There is a ritual to transfer one's soul into that of their child. I've seen it done in theory, but never in practice. This didn't occur to me until today, but we both know there is a child."

"Yes," Rebecca said. She lowered herself into a dusty chair. She didn't want to believe it was possible but she knew the Dark Lord well. If he knew of this ritual and of the child, he would make himself immortal. "But only one. I killed the others."

"One last child," Ulrich said, becoming quiet, contemplative. "Now, what is you've come here for?"

"I need some research done but I don't want the Order to find out."

"Ooho, intrigue against dear old Dumbles." Rebecca rolled her eyes. Ever since Ulrich had lost at Dumbledore's hand, he seized any chance to work against the other wizard. He worked with the Order, but it was only because he didn't think Voldemort deserved his self given name nor to be called the Dark Lord. He would work to destroy what Tom Riddle had become, but he wasn't doing it for Dumbledore. Rebecca respected that. She hated being a slave to Dumbledore's every whim and if it weren't for her personal insights and reasons for fighting in this war, she would have never come back to Britain. Like any Slytherin, her best work was done behind the scenes and she only allowed herself to be acknowledged if the timing was right.

But she had and she had a job to do now. She knew from experience that Dumbledore would not win the war the way he was currently fighting it. Light Magics could only go so far in a battle and the majority of offensive spells were Dark Arts in any way of their use. She had learned as much from Ulrich who had, for ten years after his graduation from Durmstrang, studied Dark Arts around the world. He had taught her everything he thought would apply to serving Voldemort from his own experience in Grindelwald's war. It was for those reasons Rebecca knew he would help her. Light Magic could not stop a Dark Lord and Dumbledore knew it but he insisted on teaching only Light, forgetting the Darkness which would never forget him.

"Horcruxes," Rebecca said.

"So you've found out his secret," Ulrich said. "I wondered when you would."

"I've known for years. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Ulrich didn't answer. "I have an idea of the protections he has placed around the horcruxes. I also know that once the horcruxes are destroyed he will try to locate another method of immortality and in order to stop him, the remaining child will have to die."

Rebecca didn't say anything, but she knew Ulrich knew what she was thinking. Death had been her life for years while in Voldemort's service. She knew she could kill innocents. The faces of the children she had killed flashed through her mind, but this time it was different.

"I warned you, Rebecca. Never let feelings get in the way of what we do. You are my chosen heir and as such, you uphold my image."

"What bloody image is that?" she demanded, standing up. "You no longer exist, Ulrich. No one knows the truth besides a few people who remember what happened that day on the battlefield between you and Dumbledore. Everyone else is dead because you killed them. Face it, you are no longer in power here. Tom Riddle had named himself your successor, don't you understand that. Even he doesn't know you're here. If he did you would be dead already."

"And so would you, Kallie, and Potter. Riddle cares not for upholding an image. He believes he is the greatest wizard of all time which isn't true, but I told you to let people hold on to their delusions, especially if the delusions are not true until you can destroy them."

"I know," she said. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course I'll help you. All you need to do is ask. Now, tell me of this diary."

"How do you know about that?"

"Dumbledore stopped in for a game of chess earlier."

"Keep one's friends close…"

"…and thy enemies closer."


	4. Library Training

_Here is chapter four for your reading pleasure. I would have had this up sooner but since it wasn't finished before I left school for the holiday I was unable to. Hope you enjoy. There's more to come._

**Chapter Four**

**Library Training**

Later in the day Rebecca had returned to Grimmauld Place without a word. Few had even noticed her return and those who did didn't acknowledge it so when Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione followed Mrs. Weasley up to the library that afternoon, they were surprised to find Rebecca there preparing to duel with Tonks.

"What's going on?" Harry asked Sirius who was sitting in a chair watching the two.

"Training, I suppose. Rebecca knows how to train against Death Eaters better than most others. The current Aurors don't know much about dueling them. She offered to help Tonks."

Harry nodded and shrugged to his friends. They all sat down beside Sirius to watch the two witches. Rebecca did something strange with her wand and a shield went up around them.

"Now," she said, "we begin. Necarai protego."

"Protection stealing," Sirius explained. "But I've never heard that one before. Probably Dark Arts. If there is one thing Rebecca knows well it's Dark Arts."

"If she wants to train everyone, why is she using Dark Arts?" Hermione asked.

Sirius looked at her. "The Death Eaters aren't going to stop and play nice just because someone doesn't know their spells. In fact, that's only more of a reason for them to continue an attack. Death Eaters don't like to play fair and Rebecca knows that. She trained most of them."

"This is not something children should be witnessing," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I don't know where else they're going to see it, Molly. At least Rebecca knows how to do it well. I may not like her, but I'll admit that she does know what she's doing."

If anything, the duel was teaching Harry that all the spells he'd learned to defend himself weren't going to do much against a determined, well educated Death Eater or even one trained by Rebecca. Tonks, even with the limited use of Dark Arts she was given as an Auror, was having difficulty battling Rebecca. She moved with a fluidity Harry thought to be impossible. Very few spells Tonks threw her way ever managed to get past the shield Rebecca had created around herself. Harry heard footsteps and turned his head to see another young woman, only a few years older than him, walk into the room. She had a regal air about her and her pale eyes admitted to nothing. She had black hair that fell just above her shoulders. She looked familiar but Harry was she he'd never seen her before.

Mrs. Weasley threw up her hands in defeat and left the room. The woman looked after her for a minute.

"Kalliope," Sirius said.

"Sirius," she answered. "Your cousin needs to work on her right side. Oh, she knows that now," the woman said, looking at the duel.

"Dora hasn't had the privilege of training with your mother yet."

"Privilege? Hardly. My mother is insane, in case you haven't noticed. More than three decades of intensive study of Dark Arts can do that to a person."

"I doubt that was all."

She shrugged. "Perhaps it was all the years of combined service to two dark lords. Neither are very forgiving and both honour disservice with death. A precarious balance of mistrust and hatred could drive anyone to the brink of insanity."

"Two dark lords?" Hermione asked and Harry nodded in agreement. The only dark lord he'd ever heard of was Voldemort and Grindelwald and the latter was dead.

The woman laughed. "Tom Riddle is not the only so-called dark lord in England."

"Kallie! Come here and let's give Tonks an example of a sturdy shield."

"Lovely. Dueling with Ulrich and now my mother." With a wave of her wand, Kallie disabled the shield and walked over to where Tonks was standing. "So how do you wish to do this, Mother?"

"Don't get smart with me, Kalliope. I could send you back to help Ulrich with the research but I need you here for the moment. Don't make me regret it."

"My apologies," Kallie said. "Traditional duel or fly by?"

"Fly by," Rebecca answered. "Watch, Dora, you four as well," she said, motioning to Harry and his friends. "No holds, Kallie."

"Oh fun."

"You'll think that. Octava!"

Kallie dodged the curse with ease and a wave of her wand brought up a shimmering blue shield that soon faded to transparent. Harry saw Rebecca smile and then she did something he wouldn't have thought her cold enough to do. She cast the Cruciatus Curse.

And it bounced off the shield. Harry wasn't the only one surprised. Tonks stood on the other side of Kallie with an open mouth staring as the pain curse faded into nothingness. Once again Rebecca cast the curse and again it faded outside the shield.

"Impossible," Hermione said.

"Not quite," Rebecca answered. "It's a shield created by Dark Arts and protects against most Dark Arts spells. The only downfall of this shield is that it will not defend against any normal hexes or jinxes of light origin. Using this shield coincides with agility and knowledge of counter charms."

Kallie had walked over to the window and was looking outside. Harry saw her frown and call for her mother's attention.

"Your old friend is outside, Mother."

"Who?" Rebecca asked.

"Narcissa."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked.

Kallie whirled on him with a strange look and nodded. Harry noticed Rebecca looking at him with a slight smile on her face.

"What is it?" Sirius asked. Rebecca turned from him and walked to the window. Harry looked at his godfather wondering why he had to ask what was going on. He thought Kallie had explained the situation quite well but the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces made him think about something else. _He_ had understood what Rebecca and Kallie had said but no one else had. Had they been speaking in Parseltongue? Did that explain the looks he had gotten from the two women?

"Cissa is outside," Rebecca explained from the window. "She's looking for the house." A strange look crossed her face. "I'll handle it. I think I know what she wants."

"Of course. She wants you dead," Sirius said.

"No worries then," Rebecca said. "Plenty of people in this damn country want me dead. She's not the first nor will she be the last to come for my blood."

Kallie laughed. "And I suppose I'm to return to Knockturn Alley?"

"If you wish. Ulrich is helping me with a project and he'll be quite unreachable for a few days."

"The diary."

"No, I'm doing that alone. There are things there no one else should know."

"No one else will. Are you going out to handle your friend?"

Rebecca's face grew cold but she nodded. "Cissa and I have much unfinished business."

"Oh? A debate about who is responsible for what?" Sirius asked.

"I am not going to dignify that with a retort, Sirius Black. Now, I am going to go deal with Cissa, if you will excuse me. Kalliope, if you are going back to the shop, tell Uncle I'll be along shortly for an update." With that, Rebecca turned and left the library. Everyone stared after her.

"That was unexpected," Kallie said. "She never escapes a chance to visit with Ulrich."

"From what I've heard your uncle isn't someone to visit with."

Kallie shrugged at Sirius' comment. "I won't deny his insanity topped only by my mother's. They make an interesting pair and always have. I wonder what they would have been like if they had been siblings instead."

"Together?" Sirius asked. "They would have ruled the world in under a decade."

"I suppose that was always her father's fear. No one in his family had ever been so integrated with the Dark Arts nor so practiced. Ulrich knew everything there was to know and he taught Mother everything he knew."

"I remember well Christopher's reaction when he was told the newest enemy was Rebecca. We thought he was going to start killing people. Regardless, he walked into DMLE the next morning with orders to have her killed on sight."

"She never told me that."

"She knew. When we returned to school that year we sent off a letter to Rebecca immediately under Alesandra's request. Hogwarts owls weren't being intercepted yet and your grandmother couldn't risk letting Christopher find out she still considered Rebecca her daughter."

Sirius seemed to have forgotten Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were still in the room but Harry didn't dare draw attention to them. He wanted to know more about Rebecca and this new woman, her daughter Kallie. These morsels of information about the woman were interesting to him. Rebecca Black was an enigma.

"Mother never spoke much about that time."

Sirius shrugged. "For the first few years Alesandra believed she was salvageable. She asked us to keep in contact with Rebecca. She stopped responding to our letters by our fifth year."

"Did you even care?"

"I did, for a while, but I saw what Rebecca's betrayal did to her family and how little she cared about how she was destroying them."

"Perhaps, Sirius, you should ask her why she really left the family and followed Malfoy into the Death Eaters. It's just like your kind to make assumptions you can't prove." Kallie stopped and looked at Harry and his friends. Harry didn't like her gazes. It was cold and heartless. He had seen more kindness from her mother. "Don't make more of an ass of yourself than you already have, Black. My mother doesn't forgive easily and she has a very long memory. Good day."

* * *

"Hello, Narcissa."

"Rebecca."

"I saw you from the window. Come here to kill me?"

"I have no right to ask anything of you, Rebecca, not after everything I've ever done to you."

"Perhaps I should be the judge of that, Cissa," Rebecca said, walking away from Grimmauld Place and to a nearby park. Narcissa followed her.

"Do you remember the day Draco was born?"

"Vividly," Rebecca answered. Lucius had killed her father that day. She hadn't asked him to, but once Lucius had heard the truth of what her father had done, he had gone into a rage. Rebecca had stood, helpless and emotionless as her former lover tortured and killer her father. She supposed she had felt vindicated at some point during the whole ordeal, but she had seen more cold cruelty in Lucius at that moment than she had in all the years she had ever known him.

"I was furious when Lucius wanted to name you his godmother. He was insistent and I gave in. I knew you were out to steal him from me. You had the Dark Lord's favor and his bed, but you still wanted Lucius."

"Do you want to know the truth?"

"Should I b believe anything you say?"

"You came here asking for a favor." Narcissa nodded. "Lucius left me three months after your marriage. I fought for him, but he wanted to become loyal to you. He wanted a son."

"If that is true," Narcissa said, but stopped. "Your daughter, Kalliope, she can't be his."

"You are quick. What did you come here for, Narcissa? I have much to do and little time."

"How did you get Sirius his freedom?"

Rebecca stopped walking and turned to face her former housemate. "I have friends in high places."

"Not anymore. You betrayed everyone by your actions fifteen years ago. Furious betrayal that seeped into the mind of every person in the Circle."

"The Dark Lord was not my only access to friends, Cissa."

"Just tell me, how did you do it? I have an idea and this favor I wish to ask depends on your answer."

Rebecca sighed. "I stole a memory from Lucius and gave it to Jonas Davids. That, along with the names of several high ranking Death Eaters who claimed Imperious in the last war but were fully in their minds was enough to get me a trial for Sirius. Unofficial, of course. I wouldn't have dared to take him into the Ministry after what happened yesterday. I provided them with enough information and with the threat I'd go to the Prophet if they didn't listen to what I had to say."

"A Slytherin plot indeed," Narcissa said. "And it worked. I saw the Prophet this morning. I never thought I'd see the day Sirius was found innocent."

"You did nothing to help the situation."

"I was never in the Inner Circle. I didn't know who the Dark Lord's spies were, but I never thought Sirius would be one to turn traitor against his friends. He was always too much of a bloody Gryffindor and insisted loyalty and would have died to protect his godson."

"Why are you here, Narcissa?"

"Did you give the Ministy my name with the others?"

"They already suspected you, Cissa."

Narcissa was quiet for several long minutes. Rebecca didn't break the silence. She wanted to know what the other woman was thinking and why she had chosen to come to Grimmauld Place. Finally, Narcissa spoke.

"Severus is loyal, do you know that?"

"To the Dark Lord? I suspected, but I never sought to confirm." Rebecca watched her enemy's movements. Narcissa was very much in control of her emotions and didn't betray anything to an outside tick or movement. Rebecca had always been good at reading people, even without the Legilimency she had learned from Ulrich. Narcissa was hiding something, and it was more than the secret of who was loyal to whom. It made sense for a Death Eater to try to convince her of Severus' defection to the Dark Lord and Rebecca understood that. She also understood the method of using a child to gain the trust of an enemy.

"Yes. He is very much loyal to the Dark Lord. He will betray Dumbledore's Order when it is so wished for him to do so."

"I'll take care of it," Rebecca answered and meant it. She would discover the truth of the entire situation and regardless of what she found, she would proceed to the best interests of the Order or to Ulrich, whichever served her best interests.

"Do more than that. With your death, as Draco's godfather, Severus will get custody if I should be sent to Azkaban. Severus will turn Draco to the Dark Lord. I do not want that to happen. I don't want my son to be forced to do what we had to do to survive all those years ago. I know you accepted Dumbledore's offer to teach this year. Make a comeback, show that one can defy the Dark Lord and survive, and take Draco."

"Cissa." She didn't like how Narcissa was wording her argument. It seemed almost faked and strained. Not at all sincere. Something wasn't right and Rebecca could feel it. Memories long buried in pain and denial came to the surface. This was not a plea of a mother for her child; this was a plea to gain sympathy and, perhaps, and dead enemy.

"Don't, Becca, please. You are Draco's godmother. Take him, turn him away from the path Lucius and Severus have set him on. He doesn't know you and I think you are the only one who can save him because he doesn't know who you are."

"Narcissa, you're asking a lot of me. You of all people know how many enemies I have and how far they will go to get the Dark Lord's favour by killing me."

"I know, and I know you hate me, but I also know you once cared about Draco. I have a feeling you still do."

Rebecca sighed. "I will do what I can, Narcissa."

"You always do. The Aurors will raid Malfoy Manor by the end of the day. Severus will move quickly to gain control, thereby gaining his own favour with the Dark Lord."

"If Severus is truly betraying the Order, I will ensure he does not get near Draco."

"I trust you, Rebecca."

"It will take more than trust to get us out of this, Narcissa. I will do what I must to save Draco."

"I know you will. Thank you, Becca."

Rebecca nodded and Narcissa Disapparated. She stood in the Muggle park for a long time after the conversation thinking about what had been said. She wasn't sure whether to trust Narcissa's words or not. She knew there was much for the Dark Lord to gain by fooling her. If Draco was already firmly in the Dark Lord's grasp, Rebecca knew there would be no saving him and by bringing him into what she was planning would only jeopardize her life and the lives of those in the Order of the Phoenix. She couldn't risk it.

But if Draco had doubts about the Dark Lord she could risk saving him and bring him into the fold. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to save Draco, to keep him from the life she had been forced to live. It was an existence she had saved Regulus from, she wanted to save Draco from the same fate as her former protégé.

Closing her eyes in a silent prayer to whatever deity would listen, Rebecca made her way back to the manor. She would need to determine Severus' loyalties first and then get Dumbledore's aid in manipulating the Ministry to gain custody of her godson. She had planned on rescuing or trying to rescue Draco from his parents, this would only provide her with incentive.

As Rebecca reentered the wards surrounding the manor, she didn't notice the cloaked figure hiding in the bushes near where she and Narcissa had spoken. The figure left the bushes and watched the house for a few seconds before removing the white Death Eater mask. Severus Snape had an odd look on his face; it was almost a smile.


	5. And So It Begins

Well, here is chapter five for you. I apologize for anyone who likes Draco (I do too, don't hurt me) but he's going to suffer much more before this is all over. So far this story sits at twenty-seven chapters and one supplemental piece. Of course in the manner of my editing and rewriting, this may change but rest assured it will be finished.

**Chapter Five**

**And So It Begins**

"My mother says I must not pass,

Too near that glass

She is afraid that I will see,

A little witch that looks like me

With a red mouth to whisper low,

The very thing I should not know"

_Sarah Morgan Bryant Piatt_

_The Witch in the Glass_

Rebecca returned to the library to find that Kallie had left. Harry and his friends were still there talking to Sirius. They all looked up when she entered but a cold glare set them back to their conversation. She didn't have time for niceties. She needed to discover what Narcissa was up to and quick. She knew Malfoy Manor would be raided soon if only because of Lucius' arrest in Surrey. It meant she only had a limited timeframe to work with to determine Severus' loyalty it she really needed to worry about it at all. She hadn't gotten any vibes to tell her Severus was being disloyal to the Order, but Rebecca hadn't lived so long by not investing every possible angle of a situation. She knew a possibility existed that Narcissa had been playing with her mind and she examined the possibility as well as all others.

Severus Snape was a superb Occlumens meaning using Legilimency was out of the question. Dumbledore wouldn't tell her anything because she knew he still questioned her loyalties to the Order. That left her with only one option. It was her least favourite, but it was also the easiest to get away with. She would have to determine his loyalty herself with less than ethical methods. Ethics had never top her before, however this time she was working under a tight schedule.

Something didn't fit this situation but she couldn't figure out what it was. Everything fit a little too well. Severus betraying the Order right when Narcissa wanted Draco turned from Voldemort. No, it wasn't right. There was a plot going on, just under the surface and for all of understanding the workings of the Dark Lord's mind, Rebecca couldn't figure this one out.

What if it wasn't a plot of the Dark Lord's? What if this was all Narcissa and Lucius trying to turn her over to Voldemort? That made sense, more sense than Narcissa worrying about her son's life. Rebecca knew Narcissa well and she knew that the woman had never wanted a child, let alone a clone of Lucius. An idea began to form but she quickly discarded it.

She sat in the darkest corner of the library for a long time. She was vaguely aware that Sirius and the children had left and that Molly had called everyone down for dinner not long afterwards. She was still brooding when Snape entered the library just as the sun fell.

"Rebecca."

She looked up. He was standing near the center table looking at her with an intent expression on his face. "Severus." She stood, hiding the wince of pain from having sat in one position for so long. "Tell me what Narcissa and Lucius are planning."

"I think it should be quite obvious."

"To kill me, yes, but their method seems too –I don't know– roundabout."

"Narcissa was arrested moments ago and the manor raided. Are you not going to question my loyalties?"

She smirked. "Eavesdropping again, Severus? I shouldn't be surprised. That was always your way."

"Their method is quite ingenious, actually," Severus said, ignoring her words. "I wouldn't have thought either if them capable of such thought to attempt to pull off something of this magnitude, but then again, Lucius always was the one for grand plots."

"What is the point, Severus?"

"Narcissa wants you to take Draco; Draco who has been given instructions in use of the Killing Curse." Rebecca would have fallen back into her seat if not for the thought that she had to keep up her pretenses of being unshakable. It made sense now, all of Narcissa's words and actions made sense. She was going to use Draco.

"Well, that certainly fits with how they think."

"Indeed. Your plan?"

"Deferring to me?"

"A tidbit of information you might want to consider, Rebecca. Only the Death Eaters want you dead. The Dark Lord has said nothing of your demise, immediate or otherwise. If anything, I think he wants you alive."

"Leave analyzing his mind to me. I know it far better than anyone else could."

"One would hope, in any way."

"Is there a reason you are here, Severus?"

"I just believed you would like to know what to expect when you arrive to claim custody of Draco."

"You are not contesting?"

"Narcissa asked me not to."

"Of course."

"And, I believe I am not necessarily the person to turn Draco from the Dark Lord if I am still in service to him myself."

"Point in fact," she said.

"A word of warning. When dealing with Draco, do realize the upbringing he had. It was much like that of your former protégé."

"Exactly the same, I believe," she answered with a sigh. "Is there anything else?"

"Just remember what I said." Severus turned and left the library. Rebecca stared at the doorway for several long minutes with the hint of a smile on her face. Severus was loyal to the Order, that much was certain. Now all she had to do was make herself noticeable to the Ministry and gain custody of her godson, turn him from Voldemort and stop him from trying to kill her. It wouldn't be too difficult, only time consuming and possibly dangerous if she took the slightest misstep. It wouldn't bode well if she was to fall into the Dark Lord's sights at the present time. She would stay under the radar for as long as possible and when she did make her appearance, no one would know of it beforehand so she could not be betrayed.

* * *

The Ministry of Magic was bustling with activity. Aurors and Unspeakables were – for the first time in over a decade – working together. The raid on the homes of several Death Eaters had turned out surprising results. Dark artifacts and spellbooks were discovered along with illegal potions and tools. There was no doubt in the divisions that more would be found in higher quantities as the war moved on since it was now, indeed, considered the second war of Voldemort.

Jonas had not been surprised that many of his former housemates were among the first to be arrested. The Slytherins had always had a knack for finding dark lords and raising them to power. It was an in house talent bred by years of keeping any and all relations in house, therefore denying any outsider the chance to know what was going on until it was too late and the new dark lord had risen. Jonas had grown up with the knowledge and dealt with the problems when he had chosen to become an Auror. His problems had only grown when his mentor became none other than Christopher Potter, the director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the time.

He had always known where he stood in the scheme of things and when a young Malfoy heir was dropped by his desk, Jonas knew exactly what to do. The boy was arrogant and an exact duplicate of his Death Eater father only without the Dark Mark and the experience of murder and torture behind him.

"Good evening, Draco," Jonas said, glancing at the file that had been dropped on his desk along with the boy. Narcissa Malfoy had just been sent down to the courtrooms to be processed for trial. She would no doubt be sent to Azkaban along with her husband. Jonas thought it was just as well. He had always known Narcissa to be a loyal Death Eater even if she had claimed to have been acting under the Imperious. The woman had never been particularly intelligent but she had followed her husband's lead in the situation as in every other. Jonas has thought it to be very funny in a sick way. Now however, he realized he had a chance to really get under the skin of the two Death Eaters. Their son, the sole heir to the Malfoy fortune, was in his hands.

Jonas read over the file looking for the names of the boy's godparents and almost laughed when he found them. Severus Snape and Rebecca Black. It was very convenient that he and Rebecca happened to be on speaking terms again. She would be very pleased to hear what he had to tell her. He attached a note to the file and sent it up to processing. Normally Aurors didn't handle these situations, but in times of war when both parents were thought to be dark, the job fell to the highest ranked Auror available to determine if the child had any affiliations with the master of his or her parents.

"I am asking the department to contact your godmother, Rebecca Black…"

"She's dead," the boy said. Jonas' eyes narrowed. That was perhaps too defensive and too quick.

"No, Rebecca is very much alive. I spoke with her just last night. I imagine she will be here soon."

The boy sat back in silence. Jonas was curious. Why had he been so quick to say Rebecca was dead? He suddenly got a bad feeling about this situation. As a Slytherin-raised Auror, he had enough knowledge of Slytherin plots to know one when it appeared and this seemed much like the plots of old. He was going to watch this situation very carefully. He didn't like where it was going.

"Jonas?"

"Yes, Tonks?"

"Rebecca asked me to tell you she'll be here shortly. When the summons came she was in the process of moving her things to Hogwarts."

"She's teaching this term? She didn't tell me that."

"She hasn't told anyone really," Tonks said with a shrug. "I found out from Dumbledore."

"We'll be here, then, I suppose. Is there anything else?"

Tonks looked around and pulled a note from her pocket, spilling a cup of tea on Jonas' desk in the process. "Sorry," she said. "Dumbledore told me to give you this, but don't open it here."

"What is it?"

"An invitation." She turned and walked away, running into one of the Unspeakables. Apologizing profusely, Jonas watched as she made her way to her cubicle. He shook his head. Tonks would always be Tonks and that was what he liked about her. She was a good Auror and she wasn't falling over her own feet –or someone else's.

"Tell me about yourself, Draco," Jonas said, looking at his temporary charge. The boy had looked upon Tonks with a sneer ant had tried to hide it whenever Jonas had glanced his way. The boy was good, but not good enough. Jonas had been raised in the Pureblood ways just as Draco was and he knew what was going through Draco's mind.

The boy was so very much like his father. Jonas remembered what Lucius had been like in school and in the Pureblood Order before it had changed into Voldemort's recruiting tool within Hogwarts. Jonas had agreed with their views of blood purity for a time, but after his internship with the Aurors his views had changed. Now many of his closest friends and allies were half-bloods or less. Jonas didn't care any longer and he pitied those who did.

But Lucius had been a right prat all through school. Jonas remembered how he had tormented younger students of other houses for the sheer enjoyment of their tears. He had been cruel and while Jonas could detect much of Lucius in Draco, it wasn't the cold cruelty of his father. This was something different, something more tangible than uncontrolled hatred but Jonas couldn't identify it.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you like to do? What field do you plan on studying?"

"I play Quidditch," Draco answered, but volunteered no more. Too much like Lucius in that area.

"Your position?"

"Seeker."

"Ah, I was the Slytherin Seeker for two years while at school."

"You were in Slytherin?" Draco asked before shutting his mouth abruptly. Jonas could tell he hadn't meant to ask any questions himself.

"Yes, two years under your father. I was in the same year as your mother and godmother and five years ahead of your godfather."

"Oh."

Jonas smirked and was about to ask another question when a shadow fell across his desk. He looked up to see Rebecca standing there, as proud as any Pureblood, wearing a green velvet robe with silver trim and silver snake fastenings. Like any Slytherin. He had a feeling the next few months would prove to be interesting at Hogwarts. He knew there hadn't been a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor so openly Slytherin in decades and it would be fun to watch how the students handled someone biased against the other houses instead.

"Rebecca."

"Jonas."

"You've been busy, I hear."

"Dora has a big mouth."

"Teaching at Hogwarts. I never thought I'd ever see you teaching."

"I've always been teaching. How do you think I know the Death Eaters so well? I taught most of them."

"Moody said as much but I didn't believe him."

"Perhaps next time you should. Alastor knows much about my tactics; how else do you think he captured so many with little fuss at the end of the war."

"Good point." Jonas sighed and looked at Draco. The boy was looking at Rebecca with a mixed look of apprehension and –maybe- fear. Jonas understood. Rebecca was a woman to be feared even by some of the best wizards. It was the reason she had never been caught in the previous war. She had been far too good for even her own father to catch up to her. Jonas had listened to the rumours of her rise to Voldemort's Second in Command and had not been surprised. Rebecca had been Lucius' Second in all things at Hogwarts and it had been she who had kept the Pureblood Order running through the years after her initiation. She had been the one to turn the Pureblood Order into Salazar's Order and initiated the members into the elitist circle of future Death Eaters. Then she had become a Death Eater herself in her sixth year.

"So, let's move into the conference room to do this. It's a bit crowded out here," Jonas said. Rebecca nodded and turned, her robes billowing slightly behind her. Jonas smiled. He knew what she was doing and why she was doing it. She had to sense a plot here as well and she was sending the message to all, Draco included, that she was just as powerful and connected as she had always been. This time, however, her power and connections were on the side of the Light. It seemed to be working because Draco tried to hide a cowered looked when Rebecca turned her dark brown eyes on him in a cold gaze.

"Okay, Rebecca, here is the paperwork I need you to read over and sign if you wish to take custody of Draco Ignatius Malfoy."

"Yes," Rebecca answered. Draco had sat as far way from them as he could get at the other end of the table. Jonas thought it was typical teenage rebellion, but there was something else there, simmering beneath the surface of Malfoy perfection and Jonas could not tell what it was.

"It didn't take you long to come to a decision."

"This has already been discussed," Rebecca said and glanced down the table at Draco. "Narcissa asked me earlier this morning. She seems to think I am foolish enough to fall for her ploys. Regardless, I have discussed this with Severus as well."

"As which position is more precarious?" Jonas asked with a slight grin.

"As which of us is most likely to be killed first."

"Loyalty is fickle with the Dark Lord."

"Indeed, as some have discovered." Rebecca signed the last of the papers and handed them back to Jonas. He took them and sealed them with his wand.

"I'll go finish this up, of you would both wait here."

"Yes," Rebecca answered for them both. Jonas walked out of the room, wishing he could be in on the coming conversation between the two. It would certainly be interesting.

* * *

"Come closer, Draco. I have not seen you since you were but a babe in Narcissa's arms." Draco hesitated and Rebecca used a mild, wandless Imperious to make him heed her command. It was dangerous to do so in the Ministry, but these things had to be done. She knew what Draco had been sent to her to do and she intended to give him every available opportunity. He walked to her end of the table and sat across from her. He looked so very much like Lucius had at 15 but there was a little of Narcissa in him as well. He was nervous but his hands stayed in front of him on the table, just like Lucius would have done in a similar situation. It was frightening, really, to see how much alike they were.

"Severus tells me you have a talent for potions," she said, by way of starting conversation. She knew the best way to get his attention would be through praise and opportunity to become more powerful. Well, she would give him just that. "Have you tried any advanced potions, those beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Levels?"

"Severus, Professor Snape, won't let us."

"Now, that's not very Slytherin of you. Don't tell me you haven't stolen from his stores and brewed extra curricular potions for your friends." The look on his face gave his lie away. "I see. Very good."

"You don't have a problem with that?"

"Why would I? I have done far worse than steal in my life and I do not find it prudent to lecture you in the virtues and morals of a Gryffindor. Gods know I'll get enough of that at Hogwarts this year."

"You will be teaching."

"Unfortunately," Rebecca answered, watching his movements. He was trying to maintain the pretense of nobility and Rebecca commanded him that, but she knew it wouldn't last long. Soon his status would fall when the papers found out the truth about Lucius and Narcissa. Rebecca knew well that being captured and tried as a Death Eater did not stand well with the Dark Lord nor the other families.

"Father said you served the Dark Lord."

Ah, this was it. Rebecca knew it was coming, but she hadn't thought it would be so soon. "Yes, many years ago. I was the Dark Lord's Second, just as I had been your father's in school." She let him have a minute to grasp the significance of her comment. He was an intelligent young man and she knew it wouldn't take him long to understand.

The door opened and Jonas walked in with the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. When Fudge saw her, he paled and she wanted to laugh at the look on his face. She remembered him well. He had been in the Department of Magical Catastrophes when she had been a Death Eater. They had faced off several times and he had been the first to respond to her father's murder. Of course, Fudge had tried to accuse her of the murder but failed when her magical signature did not match the one on the body.

"Minister," she said, standing.

"Miss P…Black," Fudge said, extending his hand. She almost laughed at the slip of tongue but shook his hand. "Now, this is much faster than we usually do things, but of course, you understand that, Miss Black."

"Yes," she said. She saw Jonas smile behind the Minister.

"Good. Now you'll be staying at Hogwarts for the school term, acceptable. After the term is over?"

"I own property on the Spanish coast," she answered.

"Very well, everything else seems in order. Here is the key to the Malfoy vault at Gringotts. Sign this," he added, pushing a piece of parchment to her. She read it over quickly and signed it with the quill he provided. "Very well. Good day to you all." Fudge left and Rebecca looked at Jonas.

"What was that?"

Jonas motioned for her to stand up and follow him. They walked to a corner of the room and Jonas cast a silencing bubble around them. "Lucius and Narcissa were just sentenced to life in Azkaban. We are sentencing people as fast as they are processed and we're still not getting anywhere. The memories you provided us with last night, your own plus what you took from Lucius, have done more than we could ever hope to have done on our own."

"Hell. I didn't think Fudge would move so fast."

"You saw how he was last night. He vehemently denied the return of Voldemort and now he's all for going to war again."

"A complete turn. It seems like more than just hunting for power."

"You think so too? I wasn't sure."

"You think he's in service to the Dark Lord?"

"Fudge is power hungry. Anything is possible, you know that."

"I do."

"You've proved as much. No one in Slytherin would have ever thought you would turn against Voldemort."

"Yet I did. Thank you, Jonas, for everything."

"Be careful around that kid. Something isn't right."

"He was sent by Narcissa to kill me is all."

"Oh, no worries then." Rebecca laughed. "Fudge also told me to tell you that you've been given full immunity from all charges filed in the past or in the future."

"He is up to something." Jonas nodded. "I'll watch, thank you, Jonas."

"You're welcome, Rebecca." He released the charm and they walked back over to the table. "If you need anything else…"

"I know how to find you," she answered. "Be sure to read the letter from Dumbledore and consider his words carefully. It is not a choice to make too fast." She smiled and looked at her godson. "Come, Draco." Without a word, Draco stood up and followed her out of the room. She didn't take the time to consider it, she knew why he had done it.

They walked to the Apparation point in silence. Rebecca didn't initiate conversation because she knew it was pointless. She wouldn't get anything from him in such a public place. Dumbledore had given her permission to take him to Grimmauld Place where she thought he would be more comfortable in talking to -and trying to kill- her.

"Take my arm, Draco," she said. He did so and she Apparated them outside to an alley not far from Grimmauld Place. The sun had long since fallen and the moon was a waning crescent. The two walked out of the alley. Rebecca placed herself behind Draco and started guiding him to Grimmauld Place.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked.

"I have a meeting to attend before we can go to the castle."

"In this place?"

"Sometimes the best hiding places are those in which your enemies do not approach. The prejudices of Death Eaters can easily be used against them. Only a few would dare to come here and currently they are all in Azkaban."

"What is this place?"

Rebecca touched his shoulder and he turned to face her. She pulled a note from her pocket and handed it to him. "Read this, but know, I do not take betrayal well. If you dare to turn the people within to Voldemort, there will not be a place for you to hide and being my godson will not save you. No one will be able to save you, not even the Dark Lord himself." Rebecca saw him pale and she took pride in the fact that she could still strike such fear in people. He opened the letter and read it.

"What is…"

"Inside. Look." He looked up. "Follow me. Now listen, Draco, there are several of your classmate inside and I know for a fact that you have problems with every single one of them."

"Who?"

"The Weasleys and Harry Potter." The boy was silent. "Do not cause problems here. I will not tolerate it. I do not know how long this meeting will last and you will maintain the pretense of amicability. I have enough to do and I don't need to worry about you as well." The boy didn't reply. "I am giving you a certain level of independence. Don't make me regret it." She opened the door and they walked inside.

Rebecca led Draco up to the library. She knew it was unlikely he'd find too much trouble there. The other children would be trying to listen in on the meeting and the only one tempted to enter the library when no one else was in there was Granger.

"Stay here, read whatever you like. Stay out of trouble."

Rebecca really didn't want to leave him alone in the library but she didn't have much choice. It was too risky to have in the house at all and she couldn't take him into the meeting. She knew just what books he would take off the shelves; they would all be Dark Arts or related topics, but she had long since removed those with specific instructions for casting curses by Molly's request.

"Is there anything you would like?" she asked him from the doorway.

"No," he answered. She nodded and left. Walking down the stairs to the basement kitchen, she reflected on the previous hours activities. She had known he would be difficult; it was a given when one looked at his upbringing. She knew she couldn't make a move until he did and she knew his first move would be to make his father proud.

"Where have you been?"

"I do have more important things to do, Sirius, than stay here all the time," she answered, pushing past him and taking a seat at the table.

"Are we expecting any new members tonight?" Molly asked.

Rebecca, like the others, shrugged. Order members began to come in. Rebecca sat at the table in silence and didn't even say a word when Sirius and Remus sat on either side of her. It was a surprise, but she didn't push them away.

"Who is that?"

Rebecca looked up at Sirius' question and smiled. "Hello, Jonas."

"Rebecca," he answered with a smile of his own. She had always like Jonas. He had always been a good friend to her at school and even later, after he had become an Auror, he'd had many chanced to kill her but he never did, not even under her father's orders. And now he had helped her gain Sirius' freedom and custody of Draco. She would help him in whatever way he might need.

Which, in turn made her once again think about the godson she had left in the library. Rebecca had always had a talent for seeing the darkness in a person and while Draco had some, it wasn't enough for what she knew he wanted to do. It wasn't enough to kill without a reason. He wasn't as cold as his father, nor was he as calculating, but he could be trained. He could be trained and that was the key. She could train him against Voldemort. It was a thought too tantalizing to discard.

"Good, now that everyone is here," Dumbledore said from the front of the room. "There is some urgent business we must discuss this night. The Ministry has taken its stand against Voldemort and they have even gone as far to begin arrests based on information they received yesterday." He looked at Rebecca but she didn't give anything away. "Several of those who have been arrested have already been given trials and sent to Azkaban."

"I don't see the problem in that," Dedalus Diggle said from a corner.

"The problem," Rebecca said standing, "is that with all his supporters in Azkaban, the Dark Lord will only want the island more."

"But there are precautions in place…" Arthur said.

"Not nearly enough," Rebecca rebutted.

"But…"

"Rebecca is right. The Ministry's actions have only made things worse in the larger picture. We still have the upper hand and with the loss of most of his most loyal followers, Voldemort will falter but not enough. He will begin plans to take Azkaban and we will have to be ready to step forward to help the Ministry when it happens."

"Do you think we will be that needed?" Hestia Jones asked.

"I am afraid," Dumbledore began, "that when Voldemort takes Azkaban, the Ministry itself will fall."


	6. Diagon Alley

Cookies for anyone who correctly guesses Ulrich's true identity. I think I've given enough clues to figure it out. If you can't then you'll have to wait until I tell you which I will, eventually. Not everything is what it seems.

**Chapter Six**

**Diagon Alley**

Rebecca awoke the next morning with a headache. After the Order meeting, she and Draco had gone to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had already retrieved Draco's school things from Malfoy Manor and had delivered them to Rebecca's suite of rooms along with his list of school books for the coming term. Rebecca had made a copy of the list, wondering about her godson choice of classes.

When they'd arrived from London, Draco had gone straight to his room and hadn't left once all night long. Rebecca knew this was going to be a long process and she almost wished he'd try what he was sent to her to do so it was over with. She was not the ideal person to handle teenage rebellion issues. Her own teenage rebellion had been aided by several outside factors, including her uncle's tutelage and her need to prove she wasn't like her father's family.

Rebecca got out of bed, bathed, and dressed. There were many things she had to accomplish before the term began and since Draco had no other clothes than his school robes, she needed to take him to Diagon Alley as well. She needed to make a visit to her uncle's shop, but she didn't dare take Draco with her. She didn't like the thought of any child, teenaged or not, going so deep into Knockturn Alley. She wondered if Molly Weasley was going to take her bunch to Diagon Alley soon. She remembered Molly mentioning it, but she hadn't been paying attention to when the family would be making their trip.

She was about to call in a house elf to bring breakfast when Draco came out of his room. She nodded once and motioned for him to sit at the small dining table. She asked the house elf to bring breakfast for both of them and joined her godson at the table.

"Breakfast will be here in a moment," she said sitting down. "Did you have a good night's rest?"

"Yes."

"Good." There was a knock on the door and with a wave of her hand, Rebecca opened it to reveal Dumbledore.

"Ah, I see you've both settled in. Rebecca, I have just received a query from Molly asking if Mr. Malfoy needed anything from Diagon Alley or if you would like to join them on a day out."

"I do need to meet with Ulrich today."

"There, it's settled then. Molly, Remus, and Sirius will be taking all of the children to Diagon Alley at ten. You both will be there?"

"Yes, Albus," she answered. He nodded and with the twinkle in his eye that she hated, he left her rooms. "Insufferable man," she said, half to herself, but an attempt to get Draco to speak. She remembered well enough how Lucius acted in similar situations.

"Why do you follow him then?"

"Dumbledore is a means to an end at the present moment. He needs me far more than I need him. It was he who asked me to return to England, otherwise I would have stayed in Spain with my family there."

"Your family is dead except for one."

"Yes. I should have known Lucius or Narcissa would inform you of my parentage. No matter. After breakfast we will Floo to Diagon Alley. You need your books for the term and some more clothes and I have a visit to make." The food appeared and Rebecca took the distraction to really study her godson. He looked so much like Lucius it almost scared her, but there were subtle differences and things that were assuredly from Narcissa and the Blacks. He was concerned about his outside appearance to other witches and wizards and she knew the importance of holding up the façade had been instilled in him by his father. She knew well, because Lucius had taught her the same thing. Oh, she had known proper manners and such as they had been all but beaten into her by her father, but the rest-the façade, the look of appearing a Light magic practitioner, and the subtly of murder had been gifts from the Malfoys.

She knew it would take more than subtly to break through Draco's shell of his own superiority. She couldn't make a move until he made one. It would destroy the entire game and since she understood this to be a game, it was one she intended to win. It was like a chess match with Ulrich, she had to know what the next three moves would be before she could even take one.

The tense silence continued. Rebecca buttered some toast and set it on her plate watching Draco as he piled a few things onto his own plate. He began to eat, using proper manners as any Malfoy should at all times. Rebecca had no illusions about what would have happened to Draco if she'd left well enough alone and hadn't attacked Lucius in Surrey. Lucius would have pulled the boy to Voldemort's feet within the next year, initiated him into the Circle and all but ruin his life by forcing him to follow the path of a Death Eater. Rebecca knew the family too well to think otherwise. Marius had forced Lucius to take the Dark Mark, but to a certain degree Lucius had wanted it. Rebecca had wanted it to at a certain level as well; she had wanted to please Marius and Lucius and she had wanted to gather information for Ulrich. She accomplished those things and much more in her decade of service to Voldemort.

"You're not going to return to the Dark Lord are you?"

Rebecca almost started at the unexpected question. "No. I refuse to serve a half-blood lunatic."

"Half-blood?"

Rebecca nodded. "Voldemort was born Tom Marvolo Riddle of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle, a Muggle. Merope was the last daughter born into the Slytherin bloodline that we know of at the present time. She was reportedly a squib but used a love potion or charm to get Tom Riddle to fall in love with her and marry her. When Riddle discovered she was a witch, he left her and she gave birth to her son only surviving long enough to give him a name."

"No one knows that."

"Few do. It was shared with me by the Dark Lord himself and the details confirmed by Dumbledore."

"You never told anyone else?"

"Only my uncle who knew most of the story already. He hadn't known the Dark Lord to be the heir of Slytherin."

Suddenly Draco jumped and pushed his seat back from the table standing up. Rebecca kept herself from laughing. The full-grown python had slithered by his leg slithered up to her, it's head resting on her lap. The snake had been a gift to her from Ulrich and it was her most loyal spy and comrade. She didn't even trust Ulrich as much as she trusted the serpent.

_"Mistress, I have news."_

_"What is it, Hycine?"_

_"The Dark Lord is planting a serpent-spy in the school."_

_"To spy on whom?"_

_"He knows your return."_

_"Anything else, my love?"_

_"The serpent is death. Sent to kill a traitor."_

Rebecca glanced at Draco. _"Yes, my love, I know."_

_"The boy. He smells nice. Keep him?"_

_"He will be staying here for now."_

_"Darkness is near him. Tormented soul."_

_"I know. We will help him."_

_"He is Dragon."_

Rebecca thought the comparison was appropriate even with Hycine's limited conversational language. Hycine could tell the depth of a person and it was something Rebecca had learned to trust. _"Yes. He is Dragon."_

The serpent slithered to the floor and into Rebecca's private room. She watched it go, thinking. Certainly someone else was coming after her. She could trust Severus' word that Narcissa's plan with Draco wasn't known to the Dark Lord. Another was coming into the school but would they be there to spy on her, Draco, or Severus? Perhaps the Order in general was at risk. Any half-intelligent Death Eater knew Dumbledore supervised the Order of the Phoenix and some of its business would be conducted in the school if there was need for it to be done. As the Dark Lord's former second in command, Rebecca recognized this. Trouble was brewing and it was not something she could identify. If there was one thing she hated, it was being left in the dark.

"Sit, Draco," she commanded. "Do not fear Hycine unless you have a reason to. She will not harm anyone who does not harm me first and if she grows to care for your safety as I do, she will protect you as well. Hycine is very protective of those I care about."

"She's your pet."

"No, she is my friend and ally. Now, finish your breakfast. We should be leaving for Diagon Alley soon."

"To meet the Weasleys." The sneer was back. Rebecca wanted to strangle him.

"Yes. Like it or not, our world is at war. It is time to decide which side you are on."

"And which are you on?"

"My own. I no longer follow the Dark Lord, but I will not follow Dumbledore blindly like many do. I make my own path which is something Slytherin used to stand for. Now all I see is filth, those unworthy of being in the noble house. Oh, ambition is good and nice, but without the intelligence to know what to do with it, you will end up no where.

"You are an intelligent young man, Draco, but you wear your ambitions upon your sleeve. In the current climate of things, knowledge will be your ally, not ambition. Make your own path regardless of all else. I failed to do that for many years and I lost sight of what I had hoped to do and gain in the beginning. Do not make that same mistake. Doing so could cost your life or your soul."

"My father said you did nothing but betray the Dark Lord."

"In the end, yes, I did betray Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but all had betrayed me long before."

"What was that?"

It was a difficult topic for Rebecca to discuss, but she knew the importance of it now. She had Draco's attention and his curiosity. She wasn't going to risk losing it even if she hated talking about these topics. "I was ordered to kill my favourite protégé. The Dark Lord shows no mercy although he jokes about being merciful. I know better. I have been into his mind and he loves no one but himself and he will show no one mercy for anything."

"But Father is his…"

"Lucius got himself captured. Voldemort does not forgive that either. Lucius will pay and if he survives the encounter, perhaps he will still be considered the Second. I cannot tell, I do not know."

"You were never captured."

"I had friends in good places. One of my former liaisons from Hogwarts was an Auror and even though my father tried to kill me several times, in the end, they all failed and I stayed by the Dark Lord's side until I was no longer able to."

"Father said you acted like a figurehead for the Death Eaters, having denied your family heritage."

She shrugged. "Perhaps. My father's family was well known for being heroes. My mother was from a family known for its dark lords and princes. My brother and I were caught in the middle. He turned out to be a hero, I became the opposite."

"So the rumours were true."

"Which?"

"Mother told me you were the heir of Merlin Grindelwald."

Rebecca smiled. She had him. "It is a little known fact, but yes, I have been considered by many to be his heir. Before Gindelwald's death, he named the first child born of my mother's womb to be given over to his teachings under his most trusted advisor. My father had not even known of the arrangement. When I was born, the agreement was sealed by blood."

"But that was what, ten years after his defeat?"

"Eleven, actually, to the day."

"Why did he choose your mother?"

"That, Draco, is the question of the century." She took a drink from her goblet. "I know better than most what it means to defy one's heritage. I betrayed my father and his family name and even taking the surname Black did not save me from my family of blood nor birth."

"What are you trying to suggest?" Draco asked, getting defensive.

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just giving you something to think about. Go get ready. We'll be leaving in a few minutes."

"Why are we meeting the Weasleys?"

"Because I have a visit to make in Knockturn Alley and this shop is not one for anyone not deeply immersed in the Dark Arts."

"But Father…"

"Lucius is a fool, he always has been. There are some shops in Knockturn Alley I do approve of but my uncle's shop is not one of them. Do no argue. While I make this visit to my uncle, you will stay with Sirius or Remus."

"Trusting werewolves?"

"Right now, I have more trust in Remus Lupin than I have in most people. Get ready. You're wasting time."

Rebecca knew she'd been short with him. She knew all too well. It was the same way her own father had spoken to her up until the night she'd left, protected by the wand of Marius Malfoy. It was amazing how things had come full circle. She had escaped her family with Malfoy aid and now she'd brought the Malfoy heir into her family. Poetic justice maybe. She sighed and stood up. She wanted something more extravagant than plain black robes for her first public excursion. It was going to be an interesting day. And she had a feeling the Dark Lord would make an appearance.

* * *

Rebecca and Draco had arrived in the Leaky Cauldron, silencing at least half the pub into silence with their appearance. Sirius had been impressed. It took talent and even his arrival hadn't prompted that many into shutting their mouths. What had not impressed Sirius was the way Harry and Ron had started muttering about the Malfoy heir. He had known there were problems there and the problems would remain until the brat figured out he wasn't his father, but that still didn't mean he wanted Harry to turn into a replica of his own father.

On some level though, Sirius wanted Harry to be just like James. What was left of his logical mind told him it was impossible. Harry was far too introverted and didn't cause nearly as much trouble as James had. Sirius often found himself comparing Harry to James and it disturbed him when he realized he was doing it. Molly and Remus had both commented on it and Sirius was afraid that maybe he wasn't as balanced as he had hoped he was.

Rebecca had gone over to Remus and the two began to talk. Sirius walked over to find out what she wanted from his friend. He knew Rebecca wasn't the type to ask favours of anyone no matter how much she needed something.

"Thank you, Remus," Rebecca said. "Hello, Sirius."

"Rebecca," he said. "How long do you have his highness?"

"Who? Oh, Draco. For now, until he decides which path he'll follow. I will not hoard a Death Eater."

"Against your morals?" Sirius snapped.

"I have no morals, Sirius, you should know that by now. Then again, I forgot who I was talking to. You don't know much of anything."

"Rebecca," Remus warned.

"What I know is that you killed my brother."

"Sirius, leave it be," Remus said. Ever the peace maker. Remus would never change.

But Sirius ignored him and continued on. "You murdered him."

"Are you quite finished?" she asked. Sirius was now quite aware that almost every pair of eyes in the pub were on him, Remus, and Rebecca. Even Harry, Ron, and the others had stopped fighting with the Malfoy heir to watch the battle between them. Sirius was even aware of how this rivalry must look to Harry.

"This is not the place to discuss this, Sirius," Remus said. "Voldemort's spies are about."

Sirius glared at Remus. How could he try to defend her? With a sweep of her robes, Rebecca turned and began walking to the back. The rest of the group began to follow her and Sirius grabbed his friend's arm.

"What was that?"

"This is not the place to have a discussion about what Rebecca may or may not have done to Regulus, Sirius. Your brother chose to be a Death Eater."

"He wanted to impress _her_. It was sickening how much he followed her, showing her his notes on spells he'd researched. She took him to Voldemort and then she killed him."

"Perhaps, Sirius, you should ask Rebecca why he died, rather than make assumptions that she killed him on Voldemort's orders."

"Why else would she do it?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know, but maybe you should talk to her. She does have some morals, Sirius. She refuses to take Draco into Knockturn Alley. She is no longer the morally corrupt woman she was years ago. Come on, Padfoot, let's go."

Sirius followed Remus out of the Leaky Cauldron. He was thinking about Rebecca. Actually he hadn't really been able to stop thinking about her since she had given him the paper declaring his wrongful imprisonment. He didn't know how she had accomplished the task and it left him curious as to what else she was hiding. Sirius had always known she was good at hiding things and she always had been for as long as he had known her. She had hid her training by her uncle from her father for years and as far as he knew, not even Voldemort knew she had received such expertise from someone so powerful.

It was a survival instinct, though, bred into every Slytherin. Secrets were a way of life and a person without secrets could not be controlled or manipulated. Secrets were dangerous and Sirius, having been raised by Slytherins, understood their value to the Death Eaters.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked Rebecca. "What is in Knockturn Alley?" He had followed her down the dark musty path after she had left the group in Diagon Alley with little more than a word. Sirius would not allow her a chance to betray the Order.

"An old friend," Rebecca answered. "Someone who might be able to help us win this war."

"Who?"

"Wait and see." Sirius followed her to the darkest and furthermost corner of the road to an old shop. The sign over the door read "Ancient Artifacts of the Wizarding Wars". Apprehensive, Sirius followed her inside. The shop was dark and gloomy. Shelves were lined with wizarding wears of various stages of age. Sirius wasn't sure what could possibly be in this shop for them to use or who would be there to help them.

"I should have expected he would follow you," a voice said from the shadows. Sirius looked at the man who'd spoken. He didn't have to ask any questions. He knew exactly who this was. Ulrich Gregor, Alesandra's older brother and Rebecca's uncle. Ulrich was someone else too, a person few others knew about, a person supposedly killed in the first years of Voldemort's rise to power. Ulrich had not died but instead moved into the shadows watching and training Rebecca for the rising Darkness. Sirius had never expected to ever see the old man who had destroyed so many lives and families in the course of his life but now that he had, Sirius was curious. The old man did not seem to be the type to have done all the horrible things attributed to him as Grindelwald's Second.

"Have you discovered anything else about what we talked about?" Rebecca asked.

"Go to the back. I'll close the shop and show you what I've found." Rebecca nodded and she took Sirius' arm and led him to the back of the shop. Sirius looked at the wares in wonder. There were items from each of the major wizard's wars. When they entered the back room, Ulrich was seconds behind them with a box levitating in from of him. He set it down on a crate and sat down across from Rebecca.

"What is that?" Rebecca asked.

"Grindelwald's spellbook. Dumbledore hid it in Siberia and I sent Kallie to retrieve it. I think there are a few things in here that I've forgot to teach you."

"I don't know what they could be," Sirius muttered and Ulrich glared. Rebecca was leaning over and opening the box. She pulled out a large, leather bound book. The cover was worn but Sirius could see the book was in excellent shape. Rebecca held it with a loving touch as she opened the cover and began to glance through the pages.

"All of my early spells are in there and everything the spellsmiths created as well. It's all Dark Arts or can be classified as such. I know you will use them well and teach these things to all who will need to know them."

"I will," Rebecca said with what seemed like a humble tone. Sirius wondered what was in the book that had affected her so much. "Is there anything else?"

"No, not now. If I find something else for you, I know how to find you." Rebecca nodded but continued to look through the book. Sirius took her momentary distraction to look at the older man but Ulrich sensed his gaze and they locked eyes.

"What was that?" Sirius asked looking away from Ulrich's piercing gaze. Rebecca and Ulrich looked at each other. Rebecca's eyes glossed over and Sirius watched her.

"An explosion," Ulrich answered after a long minute. He too, had been staring at Rebecca.

"Starting early. I expected better."

"What?"

"Voldemort is attacking Diagon Alley," Rebecca said.

"Harry!" Sirius jumped up and started to leave the room but Ulrich suddenly stood before him.

"Stupid, foolish boy," the old man growled. "Going out there without a plan will do nothing but get Potter killed. Now, the best way to do this will be with the element of surprise. Rebecca, send Porthos out to investigate. We'll enter Diagon Alley using the passages and sneak up on the Death Eaters."

"You have no control over me, old man," Sirius said.

"You'll be killed if you go rushing out there like a foolish Potter," Ulrich said, the name coming out of his mouth like it was poison. Rebecca had left the room and Sirius leaned against the wall dejected. He had to help Harry and the others, but especially Harry. Voldemort wanted him, no other, and there wasn't anyone with Harry who could protect him from the Death Eaters if the really wanted to get to him.

"Twenty," Rebecca said, coming back into the room. "I contacted a friend at DMLE, but Apparation is being blocked. We're going to be on our own, here."

"And Riddle?"

"He's there."

Sirius looked up with wide eyes. The two could have been discussing the weather for all the feeling they were showing.

"I'll take Riddle," Ulrich said. "He may consider himself a Dark Lord, but he has yet to battle me. Rebecca, you know the prophecy, protect them. Black, don't get yourself killed. Follow me."

Resigned and reluctant, Sirius followed Rebecca and Ulrich out of the shop and into the alley. Ulrich lead them through an abandoned shop. Sirius didn't take time to look around and a few minutes late he was greeted by a sight that haunted his nightmares. Death Eaters were standing in the street torturing innocents without much opposition. Sirius could see Remus and Molly struggling with three Death Eaters in front of Flourish and Blotts. Sirius moved to help them, but Ulrich grabbed him by the arm,

"My friends-"

"Can take care of themselves for the moment. The keys to winning this war are inside the shop. Choose your battles. That is not one to get involved in at the moment. Go with Rebecca to the shop. Protect the children. That is all that matters right now."

Sirius could understand the reasoning. Harry was in the shop. Harry needed to be safe. He nodded to Rebecca and followed her. They went around to the back of the book store. Sirius was amazed at how calm Rebecca was but then again, she probably had much experience in these situations-on the other side of the battle.

"What are you and Ulrich planning?" he asked her. He was almost afraid to know what the two would do. Rebecca's plots were usually bad enough but combined with the Dark Wizard's Sirius wasn't sure he wanted to have anything to do with them.

"For now, get information. There's the shop. Go," she said, motioning for him to get ahead of her. His Gryffindor tendencies didn't want to leave her out in the open without aid, but his mind told him she could more than take care of herself should anyone sneak up on them in the alley.

"Black!"

Sirius turned, noting Rebecca had left their hiding place. He rushed out to the open area between the bookstore and the shop next to it to find Rebecca facing off with a Death Eater.

Another came from the street and Sirius found himself in his own battle.

"Ah, so the other has arrived."

"Carrows, how nice to see you again," Sirius said, positioning himself for a duel. Alecto Carrows didn't always duel fair. Sirius had been on the receiving of her curses more times than he'd care to remember-both in school and out.

"_Crucio_! _Imperio_!"


	7. Back to Hogwarts

_Well, here's the next. Two major revelations are made. The first I don't think is much of a surprise, but the second…Enjoy._

**Chapter Seven**

**Back to Hogwarts**

When Rebecca dreamed, she dreamed of redemption, of the night she had redeemed herself to the last person she would have ever sought forgiveness from. She dreamed of the night she presented herself to him in secret, under the watchful gaze of Dumbledore and told him what and who she really was and what she had become. She dreamed of a prophecy made by her uncle's wife that would dictate the second coming of the Dark Lord Voldemort. She dreamed of pain, love, hate, forgiveness, of death. She knew what would await her in the end but she accepted it with the pride of a Slytherin with the blood of Grindelwald flowing through her veins.

She was the Death Eater, the mother, the heir and she knew none of it would or could save her in the end. She knew she would die before the Dark Lord was defeated and she accepted her fate. She would fall as the Lord Grindelwald had, strong and fighting.

She thought these things as she and Sirius made their way to the bookstore they'd left their charges in. She knew her death would come, but she wasn't going to allow it until the children were trained and so when she'd been hit in the back with a Cruciatus Curse, she was beyond angry. The curse itself hadn't hurt, but she had things to do and didn't have time for a petty little recruit hoping to gain the favour of his sponsor. She turned, ready to fight.

"You!" the Death Eater yelled, stepping back, almost tripping over his own robes.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. She should've known. He always had been a simple little worm unable to fully battle with the strength needed to win. She blamed her brother for that. Perhaps if he had been stronger, things would have turned out differently.

"If you're going to curse," she said with a lazy tone, "you need to do it right."

"_Crucio_!" he yelled again.

She dodged with ease and came up with wand ready, hundreds of spells ready to use on the tip of her tongue. "_Miromi_," she cast on herself as well as a shield. She was going to make this little rat pay for his crimes and he would pay dearly. "_Prototi calyps_." He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. She circled his writhing form, not canceling the curse but making it stronger. He screamed himself hoarse but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Rebecca had never been one to bargain-that had been her brother's talent.

She stopped and leaned next to his still writhing form. "You betrayed my family. Why should I give you any mercy, Pettigrew?" Wandlessly, she cast Cruciatus, further intensifying his pain. His screams renewed, but Rebecca felt nothing for his pain. Once, she might have, but that was long ago, before Voldemort, before Lucius.

She looked up when she heard another voice screaming out in time to see Sirius fall to the ground. She cursed. She had really wanted to torture Pettigrew for his crimes, but he would have to wait. She needed Sirius alive and by the looks of it, Alecto wasn't going to let him live if she didn't have other plans for him.

Rebecca bound Pettigrew to the ground where he lay, still twitching. It was an Auror trick, one of the few things she learned -or rather cared to learn- from her father. Only Jonas would get the irony of it because only an Auror knew how to remove the spell.

She stayed in her position and sent a hex at Alecto's distracted form. The Death Eater turned and Rebecca stood up. She was being slow to give the other woman full use of the time. Alecto was intelligent; she'd been Head Girl of her year at Hogwarts, but she was also blinded by her own sense of superiority.

"Potter!"

"Insults don't become you, Carrows," Rebecca replied. She stepped over Pettigrew's unconscious form and walked to the other woman. She had trained the Carrows siblings. She knew their moves and how to counter them.

"I'm sure the Dark Lord will be happy with me for capturing you."

"Perhaps," Rebecca shrugged. She saw Sirius start to get up. He was watching them. Rebecca wanted to motion for him to go on into the shop but she didn't want to alert Alecto to his movements. She almost sighed in relief when he moved back to the door of the shop and disappeared behind it. Now she could fight with her former protégé.

* * *

Sirius hurt. He hadn't been hit with a Cruciatus Curse in a long time and even though he knew how to work through them combined with Imperious, he hadn't been able to fight. When he saw Rebecca and Carrows ready to face off, he knew it would be time to get far away from the two. He had battled Rebecca one when she was angry and he'd been in St. Mungo's for three days. Now his concern was protecting Harry and the others. He knew they didn't know enough to protect themselves against Death Eaters or –gods forbid- Voldemort. He hoped Ulrich would be able to do what he said he could and keep the monster distracted, but Sirius had doubts about the old man's abilities.

The shop was quiet and dark. Where would Harry and the others have hidden? Sirius hoped they hadn't gotten an idea to go out and try to help.

Sirius walked along the back wall of the shop looking down every visible aisle. He couldn't see anything because of the prevailing darkness. He transformed. Padfoot would have better luck.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked, referring to the creak of a door opening. Harry nodded and motioned for everyone to be quiet. When the attack had started, he and Ginny had been looking at defense books with Remus who'd told them to stay put. Harry hadn't wanted to listen, but the fierce look in the werewolf's eyes convinced him. They had soon been joined by Ron and the twins and then Hermione and Malfoy who had his wand out and ready. Harry was surprised the Malfoy heir didn't go out and join his father's friends. Neville Longbottom had been in the store with his uncle who'd left to help fight. Neville had sought them out and now hid with them.

Harry had his own wand in hand and peeked out behind a nearby shelf. A large black form was moving towards them. Harry readied his wand and noticed Malfoy doing the same, but the black form shifted. Harry breathed out a sigh of relief as his godfather came into view.

"Sirius-"

"Quiet," Sirius said in a harsh whisper. "Good, you're all here. We don't have much time."

"What is going on?" Harry asked. Sirius looked tired and like he'd been dueling. What was going on outside?

The front wall of the store shook with an explosion. Sirius cast up a shield to deflect the flying glass. Harry could see people walking into the store. He turned to his godfather. Sirius was already standing, wand ready. Harry felt his scar begin to burn. He held fast though, and stood right behind Sirius with Ron and the twins at his side. Malfoy and Neville were on the other. Seven Death Eaters had entered. Voldemort stood behind them. Harry's scar burned more than ever with the Dark Lord's fierce anger. He felt like he was going to collapse under the strain.

* * *

Jonas hadn't known what to expect when he Flooed to Knockturn Alley. He'd been met by his former classmate's daughter and was told of the situation in Diagon Alley in more detail than had been in the original call. Things were dire. He knew the path she was supposed to take them on, having grown up in Knockturn Alley as well, and led the first team through to the attack.

When he came through the passage he saw curses and hexes being thrown without concern for where they landed. It was chaos. Kallie had told him Rebecca would be heading for the bookstore with Sirius Black. Jonas would make that his first stop, but he'd have to make it across the street. His wand was ready and he left the shadows throwing curses at any person in Death Eater robes. Many hit and the attackers fell, but he had drawn attention to himself.

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Crucio_!"

"_Avada Kedavra_!" He only barely missed all three, but saw Rebecca in a side alley near Flourish and Blotts battling a Death Eater with another on the ground nearby.

* * *

The force of the spell caused Rebecca to hit the wall. She hadn't been expecting such strength from her former student. This was starting to get out of hand. She felt the Dark Lord's presence nearby and she knew where he would go. Even if he only knew of the one prophecy…they would all be in danger.

She raised her wand. "_Avada_…"

"_Stupefy_!"

"Jonas, you idiot."

But Jonas wasn't listening. He threw himself at her causing them both to fall to the ground.

"What in the bloody-"

Jonas rolled off her, coming up in a crouch but their supposed attacker lay either unconscious or dead atop Alecto. Ulrich stood near the bodies, wand ready, as always.

"Come," he said. Jonas pulled Rebecca to her feet and they followed the old man to the ruined front of the store. Rebecca counted seven Death Eaters and then there was the Dark Lord himself. She hadn't faced him since he had been told of her betrayal.

"Now, now, I think we can do better than this," Ulrich said. The Dark Lord and his followers turned. Rebecca could feel the anger.

"And who are you to interfere, old man?"

"I would be one of those you can't kill."

"Do you think you're a challenge for me? An old man, an Auror, and…Rebecca Potter."

"Heyla, Tom," she said with a joyless smile. She felt him trying to invade her mind and threw up her Occlumency shields. "Now, now, that's not very nice. Invading someone's mind without their permission. Someone could get hurt."

"Rebecca Ann, do be nice," Ulrich said. She shot him an annoyed grin. "We're not here to kill anyone, yet."

"Take my fun."

"Enough!"

"Oh, are we boring you, m'lord?" Rebecca asked. "So, so sorry." Jonas snorted.

"We're here to deliver a message," Ulrich said. "It's quite simple, even your half Muggle mind could understand."

_Ouch_, Rebecca thought. She was vaguely aware that the fighting outside had slowed as people were pooling around the blown out wall to watch the exchange between the two Dark Wizards.

"My family is under my protection and will remain so. If harm comes to any of them by your wand or that of one of your followers, you will face the wrath of my past."

"I will not take orders from-"

"You will follow these orders, or you will suffer a worse fate than that of your predecessor, Merlin Grindelwald."

Rebecca stared at her uncle. This was crazy. An ultimatum like he was making would ensure all their deaths. What was he trying to accomplish? She glanced at Sirius and the children. He was looking at her but the children were looking at the exchange between the two wizards-except for Harry. She met his gaze and could feel the questions burning behind his eyes. Hell.

"So it was you who trained my former Second," Voldemort said. Rebecca looked into his read eyes. There wasn't hate in his gaze like she had expected but rather something else, something less tangible.

"My niece, my heir, and the heir to the power of the Dark Lord," Ulrich said.

"This is far from over, old man."

"I'm sure."

The Dark Lord Disapparated and the Death Eaters followed. Those remaining in the street were quickly captured by the Aurors who were now free to Apparate.

"That was enlightening," Ulrich said.

"Indeed," Rebecca and Jonas replied.

"I don't see how," Sirius replied.

"You wouldn't," Jonas said. "But I think I know why you two came back now."

"It has been my experience that it takes a Dark Lord to defeat a Dark Lord. It will take much time for Riddle to gain the status he needs, but we will make that time useful."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius demanded.

"I think we'd better get to the castle, Uncle. This is not the place to discuss the dealings of Dark Lords."

"Yes, child, I believe you're right." He picked up a book from the floor and pointed his wand at it. "_Portus_."

* * *

Harry was bored and by the looks of it so was everyone else in the room. Ron and Ginny were playing chess in one corner, but that was the extent of any activity. Malfoy was in another corner looking out the window. Hermione and Ginny were reading on the sofa and Fred and George were talking business in the farthest section of the room. Harry and Neville were sitting in chairs by the fireplace just looking into the flames.

When they had arrived at Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley had ushered them all into a room near Dumbledore's office. She had refused to answer questions as to what was going on and Harry was starting to get angry about being left in the dark again. He wanted to know if what Voldemort had said in the bookstore was true. He had called Rebecca _Potter_. What was that supposed to mean? Was she some lost cousin or something? Or had it been a mistake? He wanted to know. If he had any family at all, he had to know. Rebecca had come into their lives without any warning it seemed and no one was telling Harry anything about who she was. Why had Sirius lied about her identity if she was a Potter?

"You are going to lose the game," Malfoy said. Harry looked up. Malfoyhad moved from his place at the window and was now standing behind Ginny looking over her shoulder at the chess board. Harry stood up and walked to that corner of the room. Neville followed.

"Move your queen here, end in a draw," Malfoy continued.

"She doesn't need your help, Malfoy," Ron said.

Malfoy shrugged. "You say so only because you wish to win." Malfoy smirked and walked back to the window. Harry watched him, curious. The bland ad changed in the weeks since fourth year had ended. He hadn't tried to cause fights and hadn't insulted anyone. In all the years Harry and Malfoy had been enemies, the other boy always had something to say. Harry was too absorbed in his thoughts about Malfoy to see the door of the room opening. When he did look up Sirius, Remus, and Rebecca had walked in and closed the door behind them.

"No fighting, I hope?" Remus said.

"None," Hermione answered. The three adults shared a look. Rebecca left the others and walked over to Malfoy at the window.

"Given today's events," Remus began. "The Headmaster wishes all of you to stay here for the remainder of the holiday to receive some special training with us and Rebecca."

"Why?" Fred asked.

"With Ulrich's actions today," Sirius said, "the Order has officially declared its existence and war on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Each of you, in one way or another, has a part to play in the coming war and you will need to be trained to deal with it. Rooms are being prepared for you now."

* * *

"You protected Granger."

Draco shrugged. "She was going to get us both killed."

"Still," Rebecca said. "You kept her from getting killed and even if you had selfish reasons for doing it, you did something few others would do."

"Gryffindors would."

"Perhaps some, but not all. Do you want to be in the classes with the others?"

"What kind of classes?"

"Sirius will be teaching Auror defense and Remus will be teaching other defenses."

"And you?"

"Dark Arts and protections against them as they were taught to me by my uncle."

"Will Dumbledore allow that?"

"We haven't left him another choice, Draco. Do you want to be involved?"

"Yes," he answered after a minute's hesitation.

She nodded and smiled encouragingly at him. When Remus had told her that he'd saved the Granger girl she'd been surprised. She hadn't thought he'd had it in him to help others, let alone a Muggle-born. She was proud of him for it and she wanted to make sure he understood that because she was going to do everything in her power to save him. She knew all to well what would await him if he entered the Dark Lord's service. She didn't want it to happen.

"Come on, Draco. We'll go to the kitchens for an early dinner and then we'll talk."

* * *

"Sirius, can I talk to you?" Harry asked. Sirius looked at his godson. Ever since the events in the bookstore, he knew Harry would want to talk-need to talk, but there had been some things mentioned that he really didn't want to explain. He wasn't sure he was the person who would be able to explain them. The truth he had been trying to hide from Harry had come out and in such a brutal way.

"What about, Harry?" Sirius asked, guiding the boy to the far corner of the room where they could talk without being interrupted. He saw Rebecca leaving the room with the Malfoy heir. Perhaps there was hope for that kid too.

"Today, in the bookstore…Voldemort when he saw…" Harry trailed off but Sirius knew where the conversation was going.

"You want to know if he meant what he called Rebecca," Sirius stated simply then sighed. "Yes." He conjured two chairs. "Sit Harry, this is complicated and it will take some time."

"How?"

"How is she related to you? Your father's older sister. James and Rebecca had never been close. She had started taking lessons in Dark Arts from her uncle when he was only a few months old. This, of course outraged your grandfather, Christopher. No one in the Potter family had ever studied Dark Arts, let alone practice them and when he discovered she was a Parselmouth as well…" Sirius trailed off. He hadn't known much about the Potters before he'd met James at school, but he remembered hearing Rebecca's stories about Christopher's cold cruelty as she had told them to his parents.

"That runs in my family?" Harry asked.

"In the Gregor side, yes. I don't know if Alesandra had the ability, but Rebecca has it and she passed it on to Kallie. No matter what Dumbledore says, your ability did not come only from Voldemort. One of the things Rebecca wants to teach you is how to…use Parseltongue. I don't understand it, but I do know she uses serpents as spies.

"I'm not explaining this very well, at all, am I?" Sirius asked rhetorically. "I'm not sure what prompted Rebecca to leave the Potters. You'd have to ask her about that."

"Why do you hate her so much?"

It was a question Sirius had hoped he would never have to answer. He hadn't hated Rebecca because she took the Dark Mark, he had actually been amused by it even though her doing so had destroyed the Potter's marriage. When he and James had returned to school they had still been in contact with Rebecca, unknowingly passing along information about Christopher's work at DMLE. No, Sirius' hatred for Voldemort's favourite Death Eater had come late in 1980 when he found his brother's body, pale and lifeless. Regulus had been Rebecca's recruit. She was responsible for everything he did, and so if he was dead by Voldemort's command, she had to have been the one who killed him.

"She killed someone I cared about," Sirius finally answered. "I know you're going to want to talk to her, but still, be careful. I know her loyalties are no longer to Voldemort, but there is a reason she came back here to fight in this war and until I know why, I'm not giving her my full trust."

* * *

"Uncle."

"Rebecca."

"How long are you staying here?"

"Long enough," Ulrich said, lighting candles with a wave of his hand. Rebecca sighed, but settled herself into the plush chair he had conjured for her. It was the finer comforts she had missed when she left England for Spain. Being raised in a family known for its wealth and prestige, she had grown used to the material items although Ulrich had never let her once forget that everything could be taken away in seconds once her betrayals were known to Voldemort.

"What does that mean?"

"Dumbledore believes in a prophecy made by some nutty seer he has in his employ here."

"Are you saying he is wrong?"

"Not entirely. But you remember Patricia's words."

"Yes, but to whom do they apply? I have not been able to discern their meaning since she told me."

"Your intuition fails you, my child."

"So you know."

"Yes."

"And?"

"I do not believe in coincidences, you know this."

"Of course."

"Fate plays too big a role in our lives. Do you not think it convenient that it was those children who found themselves alone in a bookstore today?"

"Are you trying to say…" she trailed off and thought about the words of the prophecy her aunt had made all those years ago. She remembered the words well. Could it be that this was what Patricia had been referring to?

"Dragon, of course, refers to your godson," Ulrich said. "Lion of Tainted Blood, is Granger, I believe."

"The child of Pure and Taint…The Purest Voice of Lion?"

"Longbottom. He has a hidden power which will only be tapped by someone who understands him."

"Who?"

"The Light of Moon whom I have yet to discover," he said. "The Fire of the Serpent is Miss Weasley."

"You're sure? Then that means-"

"Yes, the one we seek, the chimera, half lion, half serpent is Harry."

"And Gemini are the Weasley twins."

"You must train them all, Rebecca." Ulrich stood and walked to the window. Rebecca stayed where she was at, thinking. The prophecy had been made when Voldemort was in his first rise to power. She had hoped it would never come to pass but Patricia had been a true and powerful Seer. Rebecca had come back to England upon hearing of the Dark Lord's return because of her fear that the prophecy would come to pass. Now it seemed it would and they were not prepared.

She stood up and walked over to her uncle. He had been there for her since her birth and she owed him her life. He had saved her more than once from her father, the prejudiced man Christopher Potter had been. She remembered the harsh words and punishments that Christopher had meted out to her for some real or imagined infraction. Then the final event, the night she left the Potter family forever, the even that signed his own death warrant, she had abandoned the safe haven of Ulrich's shop for the Malfoy Manor. Ulrich hadn't questioned her about it, but she knew he had not been pleased she hadn't come to him first. The Malfoys had been able to help her more. She needed to disassociate herself from the Potters and legally taking the name Black had done that. Ulrich couldn't have helped her with the legal proceedings, but it was still a sore subject between them. Rebecca wondered what Ulrich would have done if Christopher hadn't already been dead when she told him about that night in her room.

"Uncle, how must we do this?"

"They'll need physical training as well. The boys have some from Quidditch but not enough. We'll have to fine tune their minds for battle. Legilimeny and Occlumency, of course. Defense, Dark Arts, defensive and offensive potions. For Harry, Parsel training-translations and spells. I'll get him a serpent to practice with. For Draco, I fear your first priority will be to turn him from the ideals of his father."

"The prophecy is only a guide-"

"This is more. If we do not follow this, Rebecca, the world will fall into darkness. We cannot allow that."

"Then we will begin tomorrow."

"Yes. Rebecca, child, there is something I must tell you."

"What?"

He looked at her and Rebecca knew he wanted to search her mind. She could feel him brushing her Occlumency shields. She lowered them, wondering what he wanted to know. She kept few secrets from him, but he couldn't possibly suspect any of those.

"I never told you about what occurred when Grindelwald was defeated, did I?" He left her mind and walked back to the darkened corner of the room. Rebecca stared after him for a long minute before following. It was an odd topic for conversation. She hadn't thought about the former Dark Lord's defeat although it had been Ulrich's favourite topic during many late night conversations and training sessions.

"Alesandra was but a girl when the grand army of Grindelwald was defeated. A Muggle I knew was also defeated around this time…Adolf, his name was. Very prejudiced man, even more so than Tom Riddle or your Lucius Malfoy. It was in April of 1945 when our plan came to fruition. I had been battling Dumbledore for days and I knew the time would come when I could no longer hold him off. This was when my parents were murdered." Rebecca's look of surprise must have shown, because Ulrich chuckled. She had never heard this story before.

"Yes, my parents were murdered and Alesandra was sent to me. I knew my enemies would take advantage of the situation, especially Dumbledore-he is ruthless on the battlefield when need arises. I decided the only way to protect my sister was to bind her in a magic that would make her unable to ever cast a Dark Arts spell. In doing so, I lost her to my teachings and she grew up into the knowledge that Merlin Grindelwald was my former master."

"You never told her the truth?"

"There wasn't a need. The binding also bound her to have a daughter before a son, thus giving me you to train as my heir."

"What did the magical binding give to you beside me?"

"Thus is the heart of the matter. Dumbledore's weakness is his love for his students. Alesandra, as such, under the Imperious, could convince him that _I_, her older brother, was not a threat-that I had jus been caught up in something beyond my control. Dumbledore had never seen Grindelwald's face in the duels. Dumbledore, fool that he often is, believed Alesandra. I staged Grindelwald's death and like the phoenix, was reborn again as Ulrich Gregor. My followers, Blacks, Malfoys, and the others knew not of this treachery, although I'm sure some suspected it.

"Five years later, a young man came before me asking for Alesandra's hand in marriage. A Potter and rising in the Auror program at the Ministry. Supposedly descended from Godric Gryffindor, of they only knew the truth, but I digress. Christopher wanted to marry Alesandra. I held him off for some time, wanting to allow her time to finish training at St. Mungo's before I give a positive answer. But defiance makes Dark Magic stronger as my father always told me. In March of 1952 Alesandra and Christopher married. The binding I'd cast on Alesandra grew stronger and soon she was pregnant."

Rebecca sat back. She hadn't thought Ulrich had been that cold and calculating in his manipulation of the events before her conception. It was unlike anything she had even heard from him. She knew he had loved his sister, but how did he justify doing what he did? Rebecca knew the true meaning of his words even if he hadn't said them. Ulrich had manipulated the events so perfectly as to guarantee he would have his Pureblood heir to train. The heir to Grindelwald was right indeed.

"You're feeling betrayed, I know."

"You know?" she demanded, standing up. "Oh, yes, you know. Tell me, _Uncle_, how would you know anything about how I feel right now? Everything I am is because of you."

"No, Rebecca, it is not and let me tell you how…"


End file.
